Positively Criminal
by windwhisprer
Summary: [AU CxR] Rosette's life was just starting to look great before she met a man condemed for murder. She soon finds herself in a race against the police, a race against time, and a race against a strange man who wants to see them both dead.
1. Chapter One

**A/N:** Hello all, and welcome to my first Chrno Crusade fic! I know, it's not normally what I do. Usually I write a oneshot or nine first, but I really don't have any ideas for any. (sigh) Anyway, as you can see this takes place in our time, yes, it is an AU and pretty much has nothing to do with the current storyline. (nods) I hope you enjoy.

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter One**

When the bell rang, everyone was happy. Whispers of joy rustled through the classroom, which was immediately followed by the clatter of books and the squeaks of chairs. A blonde haired girl yawned, getting to her feet she collected her books.

"Geez Rosette," chimed on of her good friends Claire. "Were you sleeping through class again?" she asked with a small giggle.

Rosette scowled at her. "No!" she snapped defiantly. "I was resting my eyes for a minute."

Her friend, Claire, and the two behind her, Mary and Anna snickered. Rosette frowned. So, she slept through history class again, they didn't have to laugh about it.

"Rosette Christopher, could you come here please?" Ms. Kate, the history teacher asked.

The whispers of "busted" chimed through the three girls, before they scurried outside. Sighing, Rosette collected her books and turned to Ms. Kate's desk.

As always, the strict teacher was watching her as she approached, and didn't give a hint of a smile. "Yes, Ms. Kate?" Rosette asked, shifting her stance and holding back the urge to roll her eyes. Whatever she wanted it couldn't be good.

"I'm worried about you Rosette," Kate said, as she stared at her. "You're struggling with your schoolwork and final exams are coming up soon. I think it's about time you started getting your act together. If you want, you can come in after school and I can tutor you."

Rosette forced a smile. "Don't worry Ms. Kate. I know exactly what I'm doing." She gave a thumbs up. "I will pass this exam with flying colors."

"I would hope so," Kate said as she rose from her chair. "Because I really don't want to have to fail you."

_"You just don't want me stuck in your class for another year,"_ Rosette thought sarcastically. "I'd love to stay and chat some more Ms. Kate, but I really have to go or I'm gonna miss my bus!" she said, before bolting for the door.

Kate sighed as she watched the blonde haired blue eyed spitfire race out the door.

As soon as she was safely out the door and down the hall she stopped running, and took a deep breath, before continuing on.

"Hey did you hear about the...?"

"...say he escaped..."

"He's supposed to be around here? Can't you believe it..."

"...scary..."

Rosette frowned and looked around at the mass of students surrounding their lockers, all talking about something. As she got to her locker, one of the girls in her class approached her. "Hey Rosette, did you hear? They say that serial killer is on the loose. He was spotted around here!"

Rosette turned to face the girl that went by the name of Marie, some girl from France. She blinked in response. "Really? What serial killer?" she asked, as her fingers started twisting in her combination.

"You know," Marie said with a small smile. "The one that killed his entire family. He escaped from jail just this morning. He's all over the news."

Sad to say, Rosette never watched the news. "Oh yeah, that guy," she said with a nervous look. "He's been spotted around here?"

Marie nodded. "Just up not five blocks away from here."

Rosette frowned. "That's not something to be excited about Marie."

The girl giggled. "Yeah, but what if you got kidnapped, and he turned you into his romantic love slave and you fell in love!" Marie clapped her hands together and sighed. "That would be awesome..."

"He's a serial killer," Rosette pointed out with a scowl. "I don't think you'd be alive very long to be his 'love slave'."

Marie merely smiled and shook her head. "Rosette, you know nothing of love." And with that, she disappeared down the hall.

Rosette stared at her, wondering what she meant, before turning back to her locker and twisting in her combo. Just as she grabbed her books and thought she was home free, one of her not-so-annoying friends came bounding down the hallway.

"Rosette! Rosette! Oh please wait Rosette!" Turning, Rosette spotted the albino girl as she hurried down the hall. She stopped next to her and smiled.

"What's up Az?" Rosette asked, turning to face her. Out of all the friends Rosette sort of had, Azmaria was defiantly her best friend. Despite the fact that she was two grades younger then her.

"I was wondering what you're doing tomorrow night?" Azmaria asked.

Rosette seemed thoughtful. "Saturday? Um, nothing yet. Why?"

"I was wondering if you would like to go on a blind date with someone?"

Rosette stared at her. "Dating ninth graders? No offense Az but-"

Azmaria fiercely shook her head. "No, no, no, he's a senior. He's a friend of a friend."

Rosette debated it in her head for a while, then decided she had little to lose. "Sure. Just name the time and place." Azmaria's face lit up.

"Oh that's great! I'll go tell him right away!" she said, before turning. "I'll call you tonight with the details!" she said with a wave, before bounding down the hall.

Rosette smiled, before it occurred to her what kind of men went on blind dates. Unmotivated. Lazy. Fat. Ugly. Jerks. The girl instantly regretted her choice.

_"What have I done...?"_

---

Rosette arrived at the large theater Azmaria had told her about at six forty-five. She was supposed to meet with some guy and they were going to watch a movie before going home. If worst came to worst, she could always say she had to go to the bathroom and never come back. Rosette tried to keep that escape root in mind.

Her thoughts wandered back to what Marie had said to her the pervious day. The nickname Rosette the Frigid came with meaning. Ever since it had slipped out that she had never gone on a date, or even had her first kiss, everyone had taunted her because of it. Well, Rosette decided. Being frigid wasn't a bad thing. Well, not totally, completely. She shook her head. She was going on a date now wasn't she? Rosette the Frigid would disappear after this day!

_"And be transformed into Rosette the girl who goes out with fat slobs on blind dates because she can't get a real guy."_ She thought with a sigh, before proceeding inside the theatre.

She spotted Azmaria waiting by the ticket booths. As soon as the younger girl spotted her, she waved. Standing behind her, was a tall blonde man. Rosette felt her heart flutter. _"He's cute."_

As soon as she stopped by them, Azmaria turned to her. "Rosette, this is Ewan Remington. Ewan, this is Rosette Christopher."

"Charmed," he said with a bow.

"It's nice to meet you too," Rosette said with a smile. "Just excuse us for a moment," she said, before linking arms with her friend and dragging her away. "What part of heaven did you get this god from?" she hissed, glancing over her shoulder at Ewan, who stood, confused as to what they were talking about. "He's cute and courteous?" Rosette whispered. "Are you sure he's not gay?"

Azmaria stiffened giggles. "No, no, he isn't. Not all nice and cute guys are gay," she whispered, before turning to walk back over to Ewan.

"Most of them," Rosette said, before joining her friend.

Ewan sighed. "Well Rosette," he said, extending his arm. "Shall we get to our movie?"

Rosette couldn't help but grin as she locked her arm through his. "We shall."

---

Rosette waved to Ewan from his car, before stumbling into her house. That had been the best date she had been on, well, ever! Azmaria really did know her. Then again, she really had nothing to compare it to. As she walked inside, she found her brother seated at the computer, his fingers pounding away at the keys as he worked on his novel that he was planning to send into a publishing company. He stopped and turned to look at her, before smiling.

"Well, you seemed to have had some fun." he said.

Rosette smiled. "It was amazing! He was so nice and... cute." She left the part out about him being as boring as a pile of sticks. "It was amazing."

Joshua smirked and started clapping. "Congratulations." he said. "You've now moved from Rosette the frigid to Rosette the girl who will date anyone and think it's great."

Rosette proceeded to throw her shoe at him.

---

Sunday afternoon Rosette headed down the street. Her mother wanted her to get groceries for tonight's dinner. The blonde haired girl frowned down at the list. "But I hate everything on this list..." she moaned, before continuing to head to the store.

She thought of Ewan. Sure, all he could talk about was school work and Rosette found that the absolute worst thing to talk about on a date, but that proved he was intelligent, right? She was sure that on a second or third date, they would have something far more interesting to talk about.

Moving the list aside, she looked down at the picture her mother had given her. It was an internet print off of the serial killer. Her mother had said since she didn't watch the news, she had to know what the guy looked like in case he tried to attack her.

_"Overprotective as usual."_ she thought sadly, before continuing.

She turned to look down the street as five police cars sped by, their lights blazing and their sirens blaring. She frowned. That couldn't be good. She had to wonder momentarily what they were after.

_"Did they find the serial killer?"_

As she turned to walk down the street again, she bumped into a rather tall man. She fell back, causing her list to fall out of her hands. "Shoot," she muttered, before turning to look up at him. "I'm so sor-"

She stopped her sentence dead. The man wore a grey hat, and a large black coat, the collar up high. As she gazed up beneath the collar and the hat, she could see his deep purple bangs that hung against his tanned skin. Two red eyes of crimson stared down on her, like small pools of blood. She didn't even need to look at the picture again to recognize his face.

"It's you..." she breathed in horror. She could feel her chest tightening in fear. "You're the serial killer."

As if on cue, the police cars squealed to a stop in front of them, blocking them in. Cops got out of their cars, aiming guns at the man. "Come peacefully," one of the men yelled, "and we won't shoot!"

The man roughly grabbed Rosette by the arm, and dragged her to her feet. He wrapped one arm around her neck, his hand covering her mouth, and the other held her arms back. "Shoot and she dies!" the man yelled, causing the police to pause.

Rosette felt the ball of fear and panic explode inside of her. Never had she been so scared. Never in her life. She stared out at the police that stood around them, wondering what to do. _"Help me,"_ she silently pleaded. _"Somebody please help me."_


	2. Chapter Two

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Two **

"_Please,"_ Rosette silently begged as she gazed around at the men who were standing around dumbstruck. _"Someone please help me."_

"Drop the girl!" One of the police officers barked. "We don't need to pointlessly drag innocent people into this!"

Rosette could feel a spark of annoyance. _"Oh yeah buddy, he's really going to let me go because you told him too."_

"I'm really sorry about this," she heard the man whisper.

"_What?"_

Rosette didn't even know what happened until it was over. The man grabbed her by the ankles with one hand, the other still holding her arms, and he flipped her over his shoulder. He turned and began to bolt down a nearby alley. Rosette squeaked when she heard the sound of gunshots, followed by the sounds of men running after them. The man turned a corner and continued running.

After a good five minutes of solid running, the man put her down, completely out of breath. "Here…" he panted. "You should go…before they catch up…"

Rosette stared at him. She found herself trapped by his amazing crimson pools. "You're letting me go?" she asked.

Before he had time to answer, police rounded a nearby corner, and began shooting at them. The man cursed in a language Rosette didn't understand, before he grabbed her hand. "Common," he cried, tearing down the alley. "I know the perfect place to hide!"

The man suddenly ground his teeth, and stopped, leaning against a nearby wall. Rosette turned, frightened. "What happened?" she asked, suddenly feeling as though this man was no threat to her.

He turned his strained eyes to look down at his leg. "They shot me." He said though grit teeth.

Rosette turned to look down and indeed, she could see the hole in his calf where a dark liquid was seeping out. She grabbed his arm and slung it over her shoulder. Despite the fact that he was taller then her, it seemed pretty effective. They continued running, but at a much slower pace.

"Where are we going?" Rosette demanded, as she helped him walk.

"This way." He said, before standing on his own and heading in front of her. He arrived next to a dead end, the alleyway filled with old blankets and large garbage bins. He dropped to his knees next to the wall and pushed aside some blankets, revealing a small hole. "Common," he said, before squeezing through.

Rosette figured this would be her perfect chance to run, but instead followed. She squeezed through the hole, finding a small shack inside the barricaded area. "Where are we?" Rosette asked.

The man smiled sadly up at the house. "It's my home," he replied, as he stepped inside. Rosette hesitated, but followed. As soon as she stepped inside, she spotted him, collapsed against large pile of blankets.

She watched him as he pulled up his pant leg and inspected his wound. He easily ripped off a piece of fabric from one of the blankets and tied it around the wound, before slumping back down, exhausted. "I guess..." he mumbled. "I can't really let you leave now." He said, before closing his eyes.

Rosette stared at him for a long time. If she wanted to, she could turn and bolt out that door and he wouldn't be able to follow because of his leg, but leaving him here, in this _dump_, just... didn't seem right. She dropped to her knees, moving closer to him to try and inspect the wound, which was barely covered by a makeshift bandage. "It's going to get infected you know," she said, turning to look up at him.

He opened an eye and shot her a bored look. "I can't exactly go out and get it fixed. My face is plastered all over the country by now. Besides," he added, closing his eyes. "Even if I did find a hospital with people who didn't know me, Paramedics have to report all gunshots to the police."

Rosette seemed thoughtful. "I have a friend. She lives not too far from here. She's in med school. She could probably help."

He opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows. "Why do you want to help me so bad? Who do you think you are?"

Rosette gave a confident smirk. "Rosette Christopher at your service. Now move those lazy bones before your leg gets infected and we have to cut the whole damn thing off!"

---

When Rosette knocked on the back door to an old run down restaurant, he had to wonder where they were. The door opened not long after, revealing a rather large man, with a cheerful smile. As soon as he spotted her, he chuckled. "What have you done this time Ros-" He stopped mid-sentence as he gazed over at the man standing behind him. His smile faded and he turned back to look at Rosette. "Yah got quite a bit of explaining to do little missy."

Rosette let the man lean on her as they stepped inside. "I'm sorry Mac, but we need some help. I hope you aren't mad at me for this."

She set the man down on a nearby chair. He found they were in a kitchen, with a lot of pots and pans and things that seemed to haven't been used in ages.

"I ain't mad," he replied, as he moved over to an old fridge to get them something to drink. "Knowin' you, this guys lucky to be alive." He handed them two glasses of water. "I know yah know what you're doin'." He said, eyeing the man seated in the chair. "But I wantcha to be careful, yah hear?" he asked.

Rosette nodded. "Thank you Mac," she said with a genuine smile, before bending down to inspect his leg. "It looks bad. Hey Mac, is Nina here?" she asked.

Mac nodded. "She'd be upstairs studyin' for her exams. I'll go grab her." And with that, Mac left the kitchen.

Rosette leaned back on the counter, studying the glass of water in her hands."So, do you have a name? Or should I just refer to you as 'that serial killer guy' like everyone else?"

He sighed. "My name is Chrno." He answered. "And I am not, a killer."

Rosette smiled, leaning on the edge of the counter while taking a drink of the water. "Sure you aren't." Rosette said with a teasing smile. "That's why your face is plastered all over TV, police are after you, and you broke out of jail a few days ago."

Chrno scowled, looking the other way. "Never mind."

A few minutes later, Mac entered the kitchen with a girl that looked in her early twenties. She had long brown hair and beautiful green eyes. "Hey, Rosette, long time no-" She turned her attention to Chrno, and let out a horrified look. "Oh my god, Daddy, call the cops!"

"No, no no," Rosette said, getting to her feet. "It's okay Nina really. He's a…" Rosette rolled her eyes. "Friend. Please. Just help him, he's been shot."

Nina looked appalled. "Me? Help him? Rosette have you lost your _mind?_ He's a killer! He killed his own parents for crying out loud!"

"Yes," Rosette said calmly. "I understand that. But what happened to the oath you took in med school?"

Nina shot her a cold glare. "That's low." She hissed.

"He's been shot. Help him and he will be gone before you know it," Rosette said with a smile, rocking back on her heels.

Nina turned one last look at Chrno. "I'll only do it if he's tied to that damned chair. I don't want him hurting us."

Rosette beamed. "Consider it done."

Chrno turned a shocked expression over to them. "What? Hey! I haven't done anything yet and already you-"

Rosette cut him off with a venomness look. "You're not the one calling the shots here, are you?"

---

Chrno's hands had been tied behind the chair, and Nina was ready to start. She tore away his pant leg and began cleaning away the wound. Once it was clear, she turned to look back up at Chrno. "I'm sorry about this," she said. 'But I don't have any painkillers."

"It's fine," Chrno replied with a kind smile. "I'm used to it by now."

Taking a calming breath, Nina readied the scalp in her hand. "Here we go," she breathed, before digging the blade into his leg. Chrno ground his teeth. It was several minutes of horrible pain, it was nothing compared to what he'd been through. Finally, the knife was removed, and it was over. There was a small clink as the bullet landed in a small dish, followed by a bit of blood. "Now let me wrap your leg," she said, as she disappeared and returned with some bandages, easily wrapping his leg.

As soon as she was done, Nina looked down at her work. "There you go. It should heal up cleanly now."

Rosette smiled. "Thanks a lot Nina." She said, pulling her friend into a hug.

Groaning, Chrno stood, his hands still bound behind his back which Rosette got to untying. "Thank you for your help, but I really must be going." He turned towards the door.

"Wait!" Mac said. "Yah could stay here if yah want? We could house yah, but only fer a while."

Chrno gave a tired smile. "No, thank you, but I'm fine." He turned his eyes over to Nina. "There are some people here who were prefer I was out of your hair anyway."

Nina blushed in embarrassment.

"Besides, I have things I need to take care of," his blood red eyes trailed over t6o Rosette. "Rosette, consider yourself free. Think of it as thanks for helping me with my leg." And with that, Chrno turned and limped out the back door into the alley, before disappearing.

Rosette stood stunned for a moment, Nina and Mac looked at her, wondering what he meant. Rosette could not say she had ever met a serial killer but something didn't seem right. From as far back as she could remember, Rosette had gone with her gut feeling. And right now, her gut was screaming to follow him. It was screaming so loud she had a small stomach ache. She took a small step forwards, before bolting out of the house and down the street, following him.

It wasn't hard to catch up to the man with a limp. "Wait!" she cried, causing him to turn to her. "Are you going back there?" she asked.

He nodded. "Home," he said. "That's exactly where you should be going."

She smiled. "You can't really go out in public right? So I was thinking, I could get you groceries and stuff, and I could-"

He sent her a piercing glare. "I told you to go home Rosette Christopher."

"But-"

"I don't want you getting involved in this. You're too kind a girl for me to want to do that to you," he said. "Now go home." And with that, he turned, and began to limp back towards the barricaded shack.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't like this chapter that much. Chrno's really introduced here, but it seems really unstable to me. A lot of what Rosette does from now on is with her gut feeling, so it's not the most stable thing I could've used. But it works, and I still like how it's working out. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed, and I would love to hear your feedback. So feed me your feedback. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Three**

Rosette didn't tell anyone what happened to her. Luckily she didn't run into any police who were on the street, and so she didn't have to face them either. It was five days after she had last seen him, when she heard the reports that Chrno had been taken back into custody. A lot of the kids at school didn't stop talking about it, and it nearly drove her mad. It was all about the Serial killer this, and do you think he'll break out again that. One lunch hour after they wouldn't shut up about it she had snapped at them and stalked off.

Perhaps it was because of the sad look to Chrno's eyes that made her heart melt. Maybe it was because he seemed so nice, soft-spoken. It just didn't seem right. Her mother had told her that it was easy to act to lower someone's guard, and she had scoffed at that. He had something, something you couldn't just fake.

One Saturday morning, she sat eating her breakfast, a bowl of cereal and orange juice, in front of the TV. They talked about stalk markets and events going on halfway around the world. She didn't care. She wanted to find out if he broke out yet. Did he die? She found herself entranced by him.

Just as the broadcast seemed to be ending, a man's voice perked up. "This just in folks," he said. "The Serial killer has broken out again. Police reports say he broke out early this morning and took off. If you see this man," a picture of Chrno appeared on the screen. "Please call the police as soon as possible."

Rosette almost bolted to her feet and ran out the door. Grabbing the keys for her mother's car, she gutted the engine. She had just recently got her license and still wanted more practice. Of course, being the paranoid woman her mother was, she had specifically said; "If you touch my car I will break every bone in your body and leave you out in the street to bleed to death."

_"But mom's at work,"_ she thought happily, as she turned her signal light on and turned through an intersection. She must've been driving around for twenty minutes, completely out of it. Where would he be? She wondered.

_"Maybe I should check out his place?"_ she thought, before turning down a street. She parked in a parking lot, very messily, before getting out and heading don the alley. She found the dead end (with much difficulty) and squeezed through the small hole, before smiling. She stood, finding herself in the peaceful closed off shack.

"Chrno?" she called out hopefully. "Are you here?" She received no answer, and she giggled. She was happy she would be able to get to se him again. She took a step forwards, and nearly slipped, glancing down, she paled.

Blood. A lot of blood.

And it was leading inside the shack. Quickly, she hurried inside. She opened the door, and looked around. "Chrno?" she whispered, before finding him slumped against the pile of blankets, his eyes closed in what she hoped what unconsciousness.

He was bleeding, from everywhere. She didn't know where the wounds were there was so much blood. And he was pale, very pale. "Chrno... oh god..." she breathed, before shaking him lightly, hoping she wasn't hurting him. He groaned, but did nothing other then that.

"He's going to die..." she breathed in horror. Quickly, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and flipped it open, quickly dialing. "Nina?" she asked, her voice panicked. "I need you to get down here, and bring all your supplies. And oh god please hurry."

---

Nina and her father had arrived, looking terribly worried. Nina had said she couldn't help him here, and told Rosette they had to move him to someplace less dirty. Nina had offered her house, but Rosette said no. She explained that he had been spotted around this area too many times, and that police were probably going to go to extreme lengths to find him, including searching the buildings around this area. Rosette insisted they take him to her house.

Nina had told her the risks. If anyone found him, it was unquestionable that her mother would call the police. Rosette merely replied with; "Don't worry, I have a plan."

So they helped him into Rosette's car, and Rosette drove back to her house, Nina in the back pulling out bullets and wrapping wounds. They parked out behind her house, and helped him inside their basement. Nina looked around, frowning. "This is where we're keeping him?" she asked.

"No," Rosette said, pushing a rug aside and revealing a trap door. "This is." She opened it, and set herself down on the stairs, "help him down here," she said, before disappearing into the dark.

Mac and Nina helped Chrno into the cellar, which was surprisingly cozy. A couch was set up in the corner, a small window was up at least eight feet from the ground, letting in a little sunlight. There was a small fridge, and a tv set up as well. "This is me and Joshua's club house," Rosette answered. "It's convenient."

Carefully, they set him down on the ground, and Nina got to work. He had lost a lot of blood, and so Nina hooked him up with some extra blood bags she had "borrowed" from the hospital she was apprenticing at. Rosette found she couldn't stand still. She was continuingly pacing around the small room, she'd gone up and down the stairs multiple times, and had made sure the car was left right where her mother had parked it.

Finally, Nina stood to face him. "That's all I can do," she said, before handing her a small bottle.

"What's this?" Rosette asked.

"Aspirin," she answered. "He needs to take two every four hours. Miss a dose and he'll be in a hell of a lot of pain.Call me if his condition changes. Oh, and call me when he wakes up too. I want to do another check up on him."

She smiled sadly at her friend, as if to tell her "take care" before she turned, with Mac, and headed up the ladder. Rosette flipped on the light as the cellar door slammed closed.

She turned to look at the boy on the ground. "Well," she whispered. "It's you and me for a while."

Chrno gave no response.

---

She had gone up every once in a while to make an appearance for her parents and brother, but after they had gone to bed, she found herself seated in front of the TV in the cellar. It was on mute, and she watched the images dance across the screen. It was so early in the morning she was just waiting for the sun to peek in through the window.

She was so tired she couldn't even sleep anymore. Every four hours, she would wake up to her cursid watch beeping insanely, and Chrno weakly groaning.

Instantly, she sprung to her feet when she heard footsteps. Grabbing a blanket, she threw it over the unconscious Chrno. The cellar door opened and Joshua appeared. He looked down sleepily at her. Rosette could only grin stupidly. "Rosette..." he said blinking slowly. "Why haven't you gone to bed yet?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rosette said nervously. "I went to bed, but you were asleep, but then, you see, I realized I had to study for an exam, but I'm seeing Ewan later today, so I had to get up early and-"

"You're babbling." Joshua said, closing the hatch and walking in further. "You babble when you're lying. What're you..." he trailed off, when he spotted the blanket behind her, and the hand that was uncovered. "Rosette," he said, more awake now then before. "Who do you have under the blanket."

"No one."

"Liar."

Rosette sighed. "If I tell you, don't flip out at me, okay?" He nodded, and she moved the blanket, revealing who he was.

Joshua fell back on the stairs, clutching the railing, his eyes wide. "Jesus!" he cried, turning from the man to Rosette's face. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Rosette smiled. 'You would not believe how many people have asked me that."

"We have to call the cops!" Joshua cried, as he turned to bolt up the stairs. Rosette ran and grabbed his arm.

"Hold up Joshua." she said. "Please don't do something like that. He's not a bad person. Please just... trust me on this."

Joshua turned angry eyes on her. "How can you say that? Do you even know what he did?" he snapped.

Rosette couldn't say she did.

"He murdered his parents Rosette! In cold blood! Not only that, he killed his girlfriend and her family! Do you really want," he pointed at the unconscious Chrno. "That living in this house! He'll kill you I know he will!"

Rosette grabbed her brother's hands and held them close. "Calm down Joshua." She said, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Please just trust me on this one."

Turning his eyes from her, to the man on the ground, he grit his teeth. "Fine." he grumbled, pulling away. "But the second things start to look bad I'm calling the cops."

She smiled, and pulled her brother into a hug. "Thank you Joshua."

---

The next few days were hard on both of them. After learning about the aspirin, Joshua and Rosette took turns feeding it to him, and still Chrno showed no signs of waking up. Rosette had gone to school, as she had an exam or two left. So she made sure to give him aspirin right before she left, come home at lunch and give him some more, and then again after she got home from school. He seemed to be improving, but it was only slight.

Joshua and Rosette sat one Thursday night, completely exhausted. Joshua was staring out the window, watching it grow darker and darker, while Rosette stared at a mute TV.

"So," Joshua whispered. "What are you gonna do with him after he wakes up?" he asked.

Rosette looked over at him, and gave a half hearted shrug. "I don't know," she replied, her words slurred with exhaustion. "But I start summer vacation in a few days. So I wont have to worry about school for a while."

Joshua smiled. "Just don't tell me you're going to run away with him, okay?"

"Actually," Rosette groaned, sitting up. "I was thinking about the cabin out on the coast."

Joshua looked over at her. "Our cabin? You want to take him there?"

Rosette nodded. "It's an hour drive out of town. I figured that after summer started, I could take him there, at least for a while." She sighed. "But I don't know what I'm going to do with him after that."

Joshua started to chuckle. "What are you going to tell mom?"

Rosette laughed. "Don't get me started on her."

So despite their situation, the Christopher siblings laughed.

Rosette awoke hours later to the sounds of groaning. When she opened her eyes, she spotted Chrno, sitting up, clutching his head. "Chrno!" she chirped, bounding from the couch and stopping next to him. "How are you? Are you all right?"

"My head feels like a ton of bricks..." he mumbled sorely, before gazing around the dark room. "Where am I?" he asked quietly.

"My cellar." Rosette answered.

He shook his head. "I'm not even gonna ask.." he mumbled.

"Just sleep for now," Rosette said. "Trust me, you need it." She stood, to walk back over to the couch. "I have to go to school tomorrow. But I'll be back later. Just rest easy, and whatever you do, don't leave here." She took a seat with a tired yawn. "My brother Joshua has tomorrow off, so he'll be here with you."

Chrno opened his mouth to retort, but suddenly found himself very tired. "Thanks." he mumbled, before leaning back and slowly drifting from consciousness.

* * *

**A/n: **(Gags) I don't like this chapter either. But starting next chapter, the story picks up, and it's a lot more fun to read (And write in my opinion) Anyway, please bare with me, and please review! 


	4. Chapter Four

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Four**

When Rosette came home from school, she was giddy. Chrno had woken up and she couldn't wait to talk to him. The idea of what next was still lingering in the back of her mind, but she forced herself to think of something else. She quickly stepped inside, dropping her backpack and taking off her shoes.

She moved to the basement, and quickly climbed down the stairs. Moving the carpet aside, she pulled open the latch, and crawled down, making sure she closed it behind her.

"Hey Rosette!" She heard her brother yell. Turning to face them, she found Chrno propped up against about a million pillows, cards in hand, and Joshua sitting across from him, his own hand in hand.

"Hey you guys," she said, taking a seat. "What are you playing?"

"Dai hin-min!" Joshua replied. "I taught Chrno how to play."

"Who's winning?" Rosette asked.

Joshua just grinned.

Chrno threw down his hand with an annoyed look. "Ugh, I give up. You win already." he mumbled.

"Aw!" Joshua whined. "But I was winning!"

Chrno turned his eyes over to Rosette, frowning. "I'll be leaving in three days." he told her.

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I can't stay here forever. I'm going to leave as soon as I can stand." He said, before looking the other direction.

Rosette huffed. "Where will you go?"

"I haven't decided."

"Then you'll stay here."

"I will not."

"But you have no where else to go!"

"So, it doesn't mean I'm going to stay here!"

Joshua's laughter broke up their argument. "You two sound like an old married couple!" he cried, before laughing even harder.

Rosette and Chrno frowned at this. "Chrno," Rosette said, catching the man's attention. 'We have a cabin out on the coast, no one ever goes there. I was thinking... maybe... we could go there for a while and sort things out."

His retort was interrupted by the doorbell. Rosette sighed, getting to her feet and racing to the door before the person decided to leave. She was not exactly expecting who she saw.

Standing at the door was Ewan, with a detective. Ewan sighed. "Rosette," he said. "This is my father-"

"Detective Charles Remington at your service," the man interrupted, flashing his badge. "I have reason to suspect that the culprit of multiple murders Chrno is in this house."

Rosette could feel her heart pounding in her ears. _"Oh no."_

"What gives you that idea?" Rosette snapped.

"I received reports that you and others were bringing a man into your basement. Eye witnesses claim that he looked exactly like our missing culprit. Would you please step aside so I may inspect the premises?" he asked.

Rosette blocked his entryway. "No you may not!" she snapped. "The person these people saw was no one other then my cousin Eric. He got too drunk at a party and so we had to bring him home, got a problem with that?" she snapped.

Charles faltered. "Uh... well. Then may I speak with your cousin?" he asked.

"No!" Rosette snapped. "He went back home. He lives on the other side of the city now if you'll be so kind as to leave, I won't have to call my parents."

Okay, it was probably a good threat against her younger brother, but against a Detective of the police department, she didn't feel too big.

Charles huffed, and turned on his way. Ewan sighed. "I'm sorry about that Rosette," he said. "My dad can be a little... hard core when he's on a case."

Rosette smiled. "It's okay Ewan."

"So I'll see you Friday?" he asked.

She nodded. "Defiantly."

Rosette slowly closed the door, before turning and heading down back to the cellar. She closed the cellar door behind her, before making her way down the stairs. "Hey Rosette," Joshua mumbled. "Who was at the door?"

Rosette hesitated. "The Detective from the police station." Chrno ground his teeth, and Joshua dropped his jaw.

"Well," Joshua begged. "What did he say?"

Rosette took a seat on the couch, running a hand through her hair. "He said that eye witnesses spotted us bringing Chrno here. I forced him to leave, but I have a feeling he'll be coming back."

It was silent for a long time after that. Each one was wondering the same question, but it seemed none of them had a legitimate answer for it.

"Rosette," Chrno said slowly, catching the siblings''s attention. 'You mentioned something about a cabin on the coast?" Rosette nodded. "I think now would be the best time to take you up on that offer."

---

Joshua sighed, taking a seat at his computer. His mother and father were downstairs, running around like chickens with no heads.

Rosette was missing.

She had disappeared last night and hadn't been seen all day. The car, his mother pointed out, was missing as well. Joshua opened his eyes, and stared at the computer screen in front of him. Left in a simple word pad, was a note.

_Joshua, _

_I've taken you know who to you know where. Don't say anything to anyone, and don't give any clues to my whereabouts. It's unlikely I'll be able to contact you either. Just keep in mind that I know what I'm doing, and that I love you. _

_-Rosette_

Joshua sighed, as he quickly deleted the message, before getting to his feet, and looking down at his mother and father who was screaming to the Detective about what had happened, and the last place they saw her. Ewan was with him. A stern, cold look to his eyes.

_"Rosette,"_ Joshua thought. _"You'd better be careful."_

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah, I know. It's short. But now the story takes a turn, and gets more into the romance gear. Please review, and I promise to update faster. 


	5. Chapter Five

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Five**

Rosette laughed as the car tore down the road at breakneck speed. They were out of the city, and out in the countryside, it wasn't far now until they made it to the lakeside cabin. All the windows were open, and the wind was moving in and out of the car, tossing around anything not tied down. Rosette squealed in joy as she pressed down harder on the gas, and the car responded with a burst of speed.

"Rosette," Chrno said, his hands gripping the sides of the seat so hard his knuckles were white. "Could you slow down?"

"No way Chrno!" she chimed. "You can't just stay in the box you're whole life, live a little freely for once!"

"But if you don't slow down we're going to get pulled over for speeding and then we'll get caught!" he cried, feeling slightly nauseous as she turned a sharp corner.

The seventeen-year-old frowned at this realization. "Shoot," she mumbled. "You're right." And with this, she eased up on the gas and the car slowed considerable.

Chrno lessened his hold on the seat, but not completely. "Rosette, I think at the next gas station, I should get out and let you drive home."

Rosette looked over at him, a slightly confused look on her face. "What do you mean Chrno?" she asked.

He sighed. 'You're too nice to get wound up in all of this, I mean, if something were to happen to you and-"

She cut him off with a confident smirk as she turned to watch the road (like what she was supposed to be doing the entire time). "Don't worry about yourself Chrno. Nothing bad's gonna happen to me. The police wouldn't harm an innocent bystander." She gave him a cheerful smile. "So there's nothing you need to worry about."

Chrno let his gaze falter as he looked back out the window at the landscape that flew by him. "The police aren't what I'm worried about," he mumbled, which went unheard by the girl.

---

Chrno sat in the car, enjoying the wonderful air conditioning. Rosette was inside a nearby gas station, picking up snacks and goodies, and calling her mother. Chrno had said it probably wasn't a good idea that she called, but the girl said she didn't want her mother running around like a chicken with no head because she had disappeared, although she knew that was inevitable.

He was enjoying his time of freedom he had to admit. He had been dragged back to that rat hole three times already, and they had put him in isolation. A horrifying vision of hell. This wasn't like most prisons. He had no human contact, what so ever, and there were no sounds. The entire room was a dark sound proof cell. They also insolated everything inside so it was near to impossible to make a sound. The point of that room was to drive the person insane, and by the end of Three days, most men were crying like babies.

Chrno was condemned to that hell for a week, and somehow retained his sanity. Even he wasn't quite sure how he did it.

The door to the station opened, and Chrno turned his eyes over to the blonde as she stalked out, seeming like she was quite depressed. Chrno frowned. Was it something her mother said? She opened the drivers seat and took a seat, before dumping the bag of goodies on his lap. "Here," she said. 'I got everything you wanted."

He took a quick scan through the bag as if just to check, before looking back up at her. She hadn't started the car yet. She just sat in the driver's seat, staring off into space. "Is something wrong?" Chrno asked.

"It's just my mom," she mumbled, as she pushed the key into the ignition and started the car with a jolt. "She said that I had to come home this instant. She just... doesn't understand anything."

Chrno had to think for a moment. "What are you doing Rosette?" he asked her softly. "You ran away from home with a man who was convicted of murder. You've got the police after you and for what? What did I do that made you want to do so much for me?"

Rosette's eyes glinted momentarily, before she glanced out of the back window, and began backing up, before she shifted gears and moved forwards again. "Just... don't ask me that Chrno," she whispered, before she drove out on the road and began speeding down the highway.

It was silent then for the rest of the way back. Not even the radio was on to break the awkward silence. Rosette had opened the window some two minutes into driving, despite the fact that the air conditioner was on. It was over ten minutes of driving before finally, he could smell the salt in the air. They made another turn and began heading straight and he could see the vast ocean in front of them. As they drew closer, he could see houses that lined the coast. He guessed they were staying in one of them.

Rosette parked the car in front of a large beach house and got out, grabbing her bag before heading inside. Chrno gazed at it. It was beautiful. The house itself wasn't exactly huge or fancy, more along the lines of small and cozy. But none the less Chrno found it amazing. He stepped out of the car and made his way inside, where Rosette already had gone into a room near the end of the hall.

"There's three rooms," Rosette said as she stepped out of one of them, and looked down at him. "So uh, just pick one. There's a small shopping center down the road, we could probably get some food there tomorrow." She gave a weary smile. "For now, I think I'll just go to bed. I'm kind of tired." She shot him a look as if to say; "I wish I could do more."

"Night Chrno," she said, before disappearing back into the room.

Chrno headed down the hall and stepped into a bedroom, before flopping down on the nice soft bed. He closed his eyes, not bothering to take off his shoes. It felt so very soft. Warm. He hadn't felt this relaxed since...

_This won't last forever. _A small voice in the back of his head reminded him.

_"Yeah,"_ he mentally replied. _"But for now, I wanna enjoy it."_

---

The next morning, Rosette was back to her cheerful self, or mostly. When Chrno woke, and stepped out, he found her munching on a granola bar, seated right in front of the TV. Her hair was down and messy, and she was still in her pajamas. She was growling, and flipping through news channels.

Although, Chrno found himself attracted to her pajamas. She wore baggy pajama pants with odd little flowers on them, and a simple tank top with a neckline that went... quite...low...

Chrno shook his head to clear away her perverted thoughts. _"Bad, Chrno, bad!"_ he mentally scolded, before stepping up next to her.

"What's on?" he asked.

"Ugh!" she threw the remote halfway across the room. Chrno winced when it connected with the wall before falling to the ground. "Can you believe this?" she cried, her temper instantly flaring as she turned an icy blue glare up at him.

"Believe what?" Chrno asked.

"Look!" she pointed to the TV, where a man was talking about some sort of calamity going on in India.

His voice suddenly changed, and he switched camera angles. "In other news, the culprit of multiple murders Chrno, has escaped earlier, and has now kidnapped a high school girl by the name of Rosette Christopher. We now go live to Detective Charles Remington."

The camera switched to the Detective standing outside her house. In the background she could see many cameras and microphones. This certainly was a popular topic. "This menace must be stopped. He has moved from murders to hostages. We received a call from the kidnapped girl only yesterday, and we believe he has left the city. If you see this man," A picture of Chrno flashed on the screen. "Or this woman," followed by a picture of Rosette." Please call police immediately."

The camera suddenly turned to Rosette's parents, and Joshua. Rosette's mother was weeping hysterically in her father's arms, and Joshua was standing next to her, trying very hard to look saddened by the whole ordeal. "I want my baby back!" her mother cried. "She called me and she sounded so scared! Please someone find my child!" she cried.

The TV was then turned off as Rosette pushed the power button with her foot. "Want something to eat?" she asked, moving into the kitchen.

Chrno was still awe-struck by what he had seen. "Rosette," he said. "I think you should go home."

"With that again?" Rosette groaned, grabbing a juice box from the fridge. "Common Chrno, I'm not go-"

"Trust me, it's very important you go home. Now. Get in the car, and drive away. I'll disappear as soon as you leave." He said, staring directly into her eyes with his.

She scoffed. "Chrno, if the police find us-"

"The police are not what I'm worried about Rosette," he snapped, causing her to flinch. His tone... it scared her.

"What do you mean?"

"There's someone after me," Chrno explained. "It's not the police either. Something much much darker, something a lot more powerful." He paused, debating weather or not to tell her. "They wont hesitate to kill you if they find us."

Rosette stared at him, awestruck. "Wh-what?" she breathed, before regaining most of her composure. "Who... who's after you?"

"Bad people," he answered. "I can't tell you any more then that," he said. "So I suggest you pack up your things and leave."

Oh, she just had a taste of the water, and now she wanted a full drink. "Chrno, how many times do I have to tell you before it gets through your thick head, I'm not going any-"

"It's their fault I was arrested Rosette!" he snapped, causing her to flinch, and draw back. "They were trying to kill me! Not _her_!" His voice was racked with all sorts of emotion Rosette couldn't figure out which was which. "You're a nice girl," he said after a pause. "I don't need the same thing happening to you." And with that, he turned to head down the hall.

"Wait!" Rosette called, leaving her juice box on the counter and heading after him. "Please! Just tell me what's going on! Who are these bad people? What do you mean they were trying to kill you?" her voice was cloaked with concern, and perhaps a bit of fear.

He stopped, taking a calming breath. "Today's not the day Rosette," he said softly, his back was still to her. "Maybe, someday." And with that, he went into his room and locked the door.

---

The next two days were dead silent. They could practically hear the heat as it burned away at their dried out skin. She could hear the sweat as it rolled down her forehead. They weren't on speaking terms. Rosette had tried to think of things to say, but he knew the only thing on his mind was getting her home. She walked into the living room on the second day, finding it empty. She scanned the kitchen and the bedrooms, finding them both empty. This was bugging her. Where was he?

Fear gripped her at the thought that he left. She turned to run for the door, when she heard his voice.

"Rosette."

She turned, finding the glass door open to the deck. He was standing there, his back to her and his head tilted upwards. "Come out here, it's nice."

Reluctantly, she turned away and stepped out, stopping next to him. She turned to look up at whatever he was looking at, but found herself gazing at an empty blue sky. Not a cloud in sight. There was a soft breeze though, which felt nice considering her air conditioner was broken, thanks to her mother who undoubtedly messed with it last time they were here.

"Are you mad?" Rosette asked quietly.

He shook his head. "I know... things have been kind of sketchy lately." He said. "And I'm sorry."

There was a long moment of silence as Rosette collected her thoughts. "I should be apologizing too." she whispered. "I'm being kind of selfish."

He turned to look at her, slightly confused.

"I just want you to stay. I want you all to myself. I know, that if I have to go home, or if I let you walk out that door, I'll never see you again." She turned to look at him. "I don't know why, but when you with me, I just... feel so relaxed." She started to giggle. "Which makes no sense. I should be scared of you, shouldn't I?"

He started to laugh then too. "Yeah, I guess you should be!"

And the two laughed for a few minutes, before silence completely swallowed them, and muted the scene. "Common," Rosette said suddenly. "I'll make us some sandwiches."

"I'll be in in a second," he said, and she nodded, before disappearing inside.

He stared up at the sky a moment longer, before he sighed. "I know," he whispered, as if replying to some force that had spoken to him, before he turned and disappeared inside.

He found Rosette on her knees once he entered, searching through cupboards. Almost every cupboard was open. "Something wrong?" he asked.

She groaned, before slumping to the floor. "We're completely and totally out of food."

He gaped. "Are you serious?"

She nodded with a groan. "Totally." Slowly, she got to her feet. "Maybe we should just order pizza?"

"Got any money?"

"Spoil sport," she muttered, before turning to look at him with a grin. "Well, let's play dress up. We're going downtown."

-

**A/N: **Yeah, I know this took a while. But I was away and, yadda, yadda, yadda. Excuses, excuses, exuses. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and please feel free to leave your opinion


	6. Chapter Six

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Six**

"Ugh... this wig is killing me." She groaned, scratching at the long red hair that fell out from under the hat she was presently wearing.

Chrno pulled at one of her father's tie. "Rosette, I think we went a little overboard."

"Overboard? Nonsense. And remember, call me Clarice. Remember? And you're uh... Eric! Yeah, that sounds good!"

Rosette found herself wearing a long skirt that dangled just past her knees, and a light summery T-shirt. She wore a long red wig, (one of her mothers) she's grabbed from the closet, and a kicky beret (in her opinion) to top it all off. Chrno, was stuck in a white collared shirt and a black tied, with some uncomfortable black pants. Most of his purple hair had been tucked under a baseball cap, which had mostly been dipped down to hide his red eyes. They had both agreed that they had to keep themselves hidden, and make sure to give no hints of who they were. Their mother's car had been parked to the side of the beach house and covered in a large blue tarp, just in case the police were looking for their car as well.

"_Clarice, _you're heartless, how could you put me in black!" he hissed as he rolled up the sleeves. The two had to walk to town as well, which wasn't that bad, but considering the heat, it nearly killed both of them.

"I'm sorry," Rosette said in a fake french accent she had acquired from Marie. "But it was all my dad left behind. We'll buy you some more clothes at the store okay?"

He raised a confused eyebrow. "Why are you talking like that?"

"It puts me in character, don't you think?" she asked, flipping the long red locks.

Chrno gave her a blank stare as they entered a grocery store. Both couldn't help but let a relieved sigh out when they realized the store was air conditioned. Rosette picked up a basket, before bounding off and collecting multiple items, chattering on as if Chrno was listening to her. Chrno, wasn't, so to speak, he was gazing down an isle. He had a bad feeling. A really bad feeling.

It was then that he spotted her. A tall red haired woman in a long but cool dress which highlighted her cleavage. She seemed to be looking for something, or someone. "Rosette, come with me," he hissed, before pulling her into another isle just before she turned to look at him.

"Ch- er, Eric!" she hissed. "What's wrong with you?"

He glanced behind an isle, finding the woman had already left. He let out a small sigh, before Rosette scoffed, and turned to look at milk. "Fine, I didn't know you hated white bread so much, geez," she mumbled. "Brown bread for you."

He glanced over at Rosette, and decided since she obviously wasn't leaving, he might as well tell her what she was getting into.

---

"Well, we have food for a week!" Rosette said happily as she closed the cupboard and turned to face Chrno, who was seated on the couch eating a box of cookies. Both his, and her clothes had been shed, leaving them in their normal, cooler attires. Rosette had insisted she buy Chrno some extra clothes, considering his looked very old and dirty. He sat on the couch in easy jeans and a light blue cotton shirt when she found looked very good on him.

"Rosette," he said, rising to his feet and turning to face her. He gave a weary sigh. "Are you still refusing my offer to go home?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm staying right here." She said, leaning back on the counter and giving him a taunting smirk.

He sighed again. "Fine, if you won't leave, then I guess I should tell you," this instantly caught the girls attention. "Have you ever heard of a group of people called the Sinners?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Last year, was my graduating year at high school," he explained. "And I had switched schools. It was there I met a man by the name of Aion. We became instant friends. Brother's almost. And that's when he brought me to a small underground cafe by the name of the Devil's Nest." He said, closing his eyes as if to suppress the memory. "That was when I met the rest of his friends, or collogues. Rizelle, Genai, Shader, and Viede. The five of them called themselves the Sinners. I guess what you would call them would be a gang."

Rosette stared at him, soaking in all the information.

"They said they were trying to stop a group called the Pursuers. Aion told me that this other gang, was going around and ruthlessly killing people. It was all backwards." He trailed off, before opening his eyes. "The Pursuers were after the Sinners, because they had been mercilessly killing people here and there. I got caught up in one of these," he turned his glazed eyes towards the floorboards. "I confronted Aion almost immediately. He said they were simply cleansing humanity. Getting rid of all those who would deliberately do harm and enjoy it. He said we were god's messengers and that we alone should bare the mark of Sinners so we may clean the stained.

"I grew accustomed to it. And it wasn't like we killed every day. Sometimes, Aion would bring us to a shelter, and we talk and enjoy ourselves, or we'd go clean for an old woman. So I tried to convinced myself that we were doing some good for the world." He smiled sadly. "Then I met Mary."

Rosette's brows drew together in confusion. "Mary?" she asked.

Chrno nodded, though his eyes were still not on her. "She was a great girl, kind and caring. So I introduced her to Aion and told her we were cleansing the world. That's when things started to go wrong. She told me that what we were doing was inexcusable. That no one deserved to die because they did something wrong. She said that God gave us forgiveness so we could give people like them second chances.

"I was torn between who to believe. Aion hated her, and he kept telling me that I should break up with her. Get rid of her." He shrugged. "So I left the Sinners."

"And I'm guessing Aion didn't take well to that," Rosette said, watching him closely.

Chrno shook his head. "Shader and Viede took me out for a drink that night. I'd turned eighteen not long before and they said it was to celebrate. When I got home I found my parents were both dead. I was scared, so I went to find Mary. She was doing the same.

"When I found her, she said that her family had been slue. She was sobbing and couldn't even speak coherently. I knew Aion had done it. I remember it exactly, we were standing outside near a bus stop, and I was going to bring her someplace safe. Someplace where we would be protected, but Aion got to us first. He told me this was my punishment for leaving the Sinners. He said; 'Once you are a Sinner you are a Sinner till death,' and he tried to shoot me."

Rosette swallowed hard, and stared at him wide eyed.

"Mary got in the way, and he accidentally shot her instead. He went to shoot me but didn't. His exact words were; 'You've suffered enough', and left. I was charged with murder the next day." Chrno said, opening his eyes and staring directly at the blonde, as if gauging her reaction.

Rosette stood, speechless. "Wow..." she said finally. "That's..." she found there were no words she could say.

"I didn't kill anyone," he said. "This was all Aion and I intend to make him pay for what he did. That's why I'm not going back to prison until he's dealt with."

"Hell!" Rosette suddenly exclaimed. "You're not going to prison at all! In fact, we're going to set the authorities straight and prove it was Aion who murdered those people and not you," she said with a smile.

"I already told the authorities what happened. They just don't believe me. Apparently, to them, Aion is a do-gooder and it's blasphemy to think he'd do something like that."

"Then we'll just need some proof!" Rosette exclaimed, pacing the length of the kitchen. "It can't be that hard, are yah with me Chrno?"

Chrno merely sighed.

Rosette walked up to him and grabbed both his hands, before raising them up in the air. "Of course yah are!" she exclaimed happily. "Say you're with me!"

He smiled softly. "Yeah... I'm with you."

---

Chrno was dozing lightly on the hammock that hung below the deck. It was beautiful out, just before dusk. He could taste the salty air and he loved it. There was a soft breeze, enough to cool him down from the hot weather. He was just glad these houses were spread out, very, very far apart. He could barely see the neighboring beach house down the coast. He suspected it was purposeful, to be more private. He was glad for that. It meant he could sleep on the hammock without some sort of disguise.

He heard her as she made her way down the steps of the porch. He listened to her soft barefooted steps as she made her way down the stairs, then listened as they became even softer as she moved through the sand.

"Kurono? Kurono, you awake?"

"Not anymore," he replied, opening his eyes and turning to look up at her. She was wearing a nice sun dress, her hair dun up in two high pigtails. She had developed a sort of soft nickname for him. The way she said it sounded different from everyone else. Maybe it was just his imagination. "Do you need something?"

She shrugged. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go for a walk. I'm sick of being cooped up inside all the time."

He didn't answer immediately. "Sure," he said, before getting to his feet and following her down to the shore. She began skipping through the soft sand, and for a while it was silent. Chrno enjoyed hearing the soft sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. It lulled him into a soft state of security.

"I like it here," he said after a while of silence. "It's... sleepy. It's easy to forget everything that's happened."

She turned to face him with a smile. "Yeah. it really is." She said. "It's like the police, the Sinners. It's like none of it ever happened."

There was a pause, before he spoke again. "How did you know Rosette?" he asked, causing her to stop. "How did you know I wasn't just going to turn on you and attack? How did you manage to trust me?"

She linked her fingers together behind her back and smiled, turning to face the sun as it set just beyond the ocean. "To tell the truth, I don't know." she paused. "But I knew... just knew that you needed help. To tell the truth, when I first met you, you looked really small."

He raised an eyebrow at this. "Small?" he was a whole head taller then the girl!

"Yeah," Rosette continued. "You seemed to small, and scared. You looked at me like I was someone to fear." she trailed off. "It was like you were some sort of cornered animal." She shrugged. "I guess that's why."

He turned to look off as the sun began to dip beyond the horizon. It almost seemed suspended. Like it almost didn't want to leave the world in the darkness. Before he knew it, a large amount of water splashed him, effectively soaking him. Frowning, he turned to the giggling girl, who was standing knees deep in water, her tongue sticking out at him. "What's the matter Chrno? Afraid of the water?"

He raised his eyebrows at the challenge. "I'll show you who's afraid of the water!" he said, before tearing into the water, splashing her. Rosette squeaked and dodged.

"Hey!" she cried. "You're going to ruin my dress!"

"Oh well, why don't you take it off then!" he said, before splashing her again.

He got her right side, and she laughed, before splashing him again. "Pervert!" It was then she fell back, completely soaking herself. She looked up at Chrno with a pout, as he stood over her. "You wouldn't soak someone who's already down would you?" she asked.

He laughed, before helping her to her feet. Once she was fully on her feet, she pushed him don. "Oh! Rosette! You dirty rotten!" She laughed, and turned to run away before he caught her wrist and pulled her down again. The two looked at each other, before bursting out laughing.

---

"I... think I caught a cold..."

"It's your fault for running in the water like that."

Chrno frowned at Rosette, who sat at the breakfast table, still in her pajamas, her blanket wrapped tightly around her. He sighed, placing his spoon down. "No," she said, her nose clearly clogged. "It's your fault! You shouldn't soak a girl."

"Oh, so it's my fault for fighting back when you tried to get me wet?" he asked, and she merely nodded. He laughed at her. "Rosette, you're really something."

She frowned at him. "And you Chrno... you're, you're..." She trailed off, before sneezing. "Ugh..."

Chrno laughed further. "I guess I should make you some chicken soup now and make sure you're all better huh?" he asked. "Maybe then when you're all better I can teach you how to tie your shoes?"

"You're a pill," Rosette mumbled, as she got to her feet and disappeared inside her room. Chrno smiled, and returned to his breakfast.

It was several hours later when Rosette awoke. The windows were drawn closed so she had no idea what time it was. She didn't much care either, the only thing she could really understand was that she was hungry, and her head felt like a cement block. Sitting up, she prepared to go out and make something when a delicious smell caught her nose. Turning to her bedside, she found a steaming bowl of chicken soup. She smiled, before clamping her hands around the bowl and brining it close to her. Still hot.

---

It was late when Chrno decided to call it a night. He yawned, and locked the front door, before moving towards his room. It was then his eye caught the door to Rosette's room. It was open a crack, and he could barely see inside. He turned, and silently pushed the door open. He winced when it gave a painfully loud creak. He looked in, and saw the blonde was still asleep. Carefully, he crept in.

He spotted the empty bowl of kitchen soup next to her nightstand, and smiled, taking a seat on the bed. He glanced over at her, finding her heavily asleep, lightly snoring. He smiled, and resisted the temptation to brush the bangs from her eyes.

"Rosette?" he whispered. "You awake?"

He took a calming breath when he received no answer, and pushed the stray hair from her eyes. He blinked as she smiled softly in her sleep. _"She must be having a good dream."_ He thought, before softly running his fingers across her cheek.

"Sweet dreams." And then he rose from the bed and left the room.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Seven**

Detective Charles Remington was no armature. He had been working in the police field for over nineteen years now. Never in his life had he lost a case, and he wasn't about to start now. Chrno had become an obstacle he had to overcome. Several times now he had put the man away, only to find out had escaped the next day. He wondered if it was about time he sent the man to Alcatraz, but thinking of the amount of transfer work he'd have to do, he was having second thoughts.

But he was starting to wonder if even Alcatraz could hold such a man. He had the ability to escape from highly guarded prisons, and disappear all together. He was almost a ghost. Detective Charles had swore he would find Chrno and Rosette not only to the girl's parents, but to himself and the media. He was going to find this man even if it took him twenty years.

He arrived at the Christopher household, his son Ewan at his side. Stepping up to the door, he knocked and it was answered by Joshua. The boy frowned when he realized who it was. "Detective," he said in greeting, before stepping aside.

"Afternoon," the man said, tipping his hat to the boy, before stepping inside. "Are your parents home?"

"Yes," Joshua said, as he watched the two of them. "They're in the kitchen."

The man smiled in thanks, before he stepped into the kitchen, where Rosette's parents were seated, looking at old photographs and talking in hushed voices. Sarah, Rosette's mother turned as he entered. "Detective!" she cried, as she sprang to her feet. "Do you have any news? Good news?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with hope.

"No, not much news I'm afraid." Charles said as he took off his hat and cast a momentarily glance over at Ewan, who's expression was still even as ever. "But I'll be heading out of town tomorrow. I've already sent out men to scower the area where the call was from. We've expanded our area of search but are still only kicking up dirt." He sighed. "Ma'am, I mean no offense by this, but if Rosette has run away with this-"

"Of course she hasn't!" Sarah cried. "My baby would do no such thing!"

"I'm not saying she did," Charles said, trying to calm the woman. "But if they were trying to hide, do you have any idea where they would go?"

It was silent for a long time. "I have no idea," Sarah whispered.

_"I'm sorry Rosette." _Joshua stepped into the kitchen, gazing at the people who had failed to notice his entrance. "I know where they went."

---

Rosette groaned, as she gazed down at what was once soup. It was burnt. She had been the first person in history, to burn soup. Maybe, if she hurried and cleaned this up, she could put on another batch and Chrno wouldn't know she burnt the soup.

"Rosette?"

_"Damn..."_

"Is lunch ready yet?" he asked as he stepped into the room.

"Uh... not yet..." she replied, as she gazed at the pot in stun. How she managed to burn soup she still couldn't understand.

"Did it catch fire or something?" he asked, as he stepped up beside her.

"Well ac-" she stopped mid sentence as she turned to look at him. It was still boiling outside, and it was understandable that they were both wearing as little clothes as possible. But he stood next to her, missing a shirt. Rosette's eyes lingered a little longer then they should have as she studied his bare chest. He was very well toned. But not like those macho-macho men. Just enough that he was quite hot. She turned away before he could see she was blushing to her hairline.

"Ug, I guess I'll cook." He said, stepping up to the stove to clear away her mess.

"Uh, okay! I'll be uh... that place out, uh, out... out... outside! Yeah.. by the water." And with that she scampered out the door before he could ask what was wrong with her.

---

Instantly, all eyes in the room were on him. "Joshua!" Sarah exclaimed. "You know where they went?" Instantly, she was in front of him. "What happened? Where are they? How do you know?"

Joshua took a breath. "Rosette was leaving that night and I woke up. She made me swear not to tell anyone where she and Chrno were going."

"Well," Ewan said. It was the first thing he said in a long time. "Spit it out. Where'd they go?"

Joshua hesitated a moment "Mexico." He said. "She said they were driving south to the boarder where you couldn't get them."

"Are you sure about this?" Sarah asked him. He nodded.

Charles put his hat back on and turned. "Good. We should be able to catch them then. Let's go Ewan."

"Right."

And the two flew out the door. Joshua watched as their car parked in the driveway started up, and sped down the street.. He then released the breath he realized he was holding. _"You owe me for this Rosette."_

---

"Rosette," he whispered. "Rosette wake up." He shook her lightly, causing the girl to roll over and swipe at him with her hand weakly.

"I don' wanna get up yet though," she mumbled, her eyes still closed in a drowsy state.

He smiled at her. "There's something I want you to see though," he said. "I know you wont regret it if you get up."

Groaning, the girl threw the blankets off, and pushed her feet over the edge of the bed. "Okay... okay I'm up." she said, wiping her eyes and looking sleepily up at the man in front of her. He was already dressed and seemed to have been up for some time beforehand. "What is it?"

"Come with me," he said, before taking her hand and leading her out onto the porch. The sun was just peaking over the horizon and the waves were giving a soothing white noise. She blinked, before rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Holding out her hand, she caught a small piece of fluff. Looking up, she saw the entire beach was covered with them. It almost looked like summer snow.

"Wow," she breathed, as her exhaustion immediately evaporated. "What is it?"

"Cotton," Chrno replied, as he tried to shake the cotton from his hair. "It comes from the cotton wood trees."

Rosette smiled. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah," Chrno replied, and the two were tossed into a silence. The wind was brisk that morning, and it pushed the cotton right into them, much to Rosette's annoyance. "Rosette," Chrno said after a long time, causing the teenager to look at him. "I want to know. Why did you bring me here?"

She smiled. "That's easy. It was far away enough that the police wouldn't be able to find us and-"

"You know that's not what I mean Rosette," he said, causing her smile to fade.

She paused, and turned back to look at the water below. "I..." Shaking her head, she turned purposely away. "I don't know Chrno."

"Yes you do," he pressed. "Rosette if there's something I should know then-"

She turned to look up at him, and made one of her "I'm okay" smiles. It was forced, and Chrno found it very painful to look at. "I really don't know Chrno," she replied. "I guess it was one of those spur of the moment things."

She turned to leave when he grabbed her hand. "Rosette," he said in a very warning type of tone.

On instinct, she ripped her hand away. "Look, it's not important okay?" she snapped, before turning and stomping inside.

Chrno sighed, and let the girl be.

It was several hours later when Chrno found Rosette pacing the lengths of her bedroom. She didn't seem nervous about anything, she just simply wouldn't sit still. He must have watched her for at least ten minutes, as if trying to figure out what exactly was going through the girl's mind, before he stepped inside. This caused her to turn and look at him. "Oh, hey Chrno," she said before she resumed her pacing.

Watching her almost made him dizzy. "Are you all right Rosette?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. He found it wasn't forced. "Why do you ask?"

He continued to watch her. "You've been pacing for a very long time. Usually people pace when something's on their mind."

She cursed under her breath, and stopped. "Uh, sorry. I just get really quite anxious."

"What do you have to be anxious about?" he asked, as she resumed her pacing. He figured it was subconscious.

"Nothing. I just... was thinking about how Joshua was doing. You know he can't do anything without his big sister around. And I was thinking about contacting him, but you know of course that would be stupid because then the police would be able to find us. And then we wouldn't be able to find the Sinners and you would just go to jail and that would be bad because-" he stepped forwards and grabbed her hands, causing her rant to cease. She turned her wide blue eyes up towards his.

"You lying." he said simply.

She forced a sad smile. "Is it really that obvious?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I'm sorry." She went to pull her hands away, only to find him tightly holding onto them. "Chrno?"

"I want the truth," he said, his thumb unconsciously running over her wrist. "Why?"

As everything that had been bottled up inside was released, she began crying. Her eyes betrayed her silent orders and spilled tears like crystal waterfalls. She threw herself into his chest, and began sobbing her eyes out. Not expecting the sudden movement, he stumbled back, before he lost his balance and the two stumbled back. They fell to the ground with a thump, the sobbing girl still in his arms. "Chrno!" she cried. "I just... I don't want to go home! I can't go home!" she cried, causing him to look down at her. "I don't belong here. This is not where I'm supposed to be!"

He frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked softly.

"I don't belong here," she hiccupped. "In this place, with these people! It's like, everyone knows where they're going. They're happy with what they have." her voice trailed off, as she tried to wipe tears from her eyes. "But I don't Chrno! I don't want to be another faceless person who lives their life and dies, and never does anything they want to! I want to get out of this stupid place! I want to travel! I want to see the world!" she sniffled back sobs. "I don't belong here."

Chrno knew there was nothing he could say to make this any easier. So he merely wrapped his arms around her, and held her close. They began slowly rocking back and forth as Rosette cried out all her frustration and sadness she had kept back for years and years.

---

"Okay, we've got a bunch of Sci-fi movies. Curtsy of Joshua, we've got some romance, curtsy of my mother. And a few Horrors, and one or two actions. You pick. I've seen them all." Rosette said, gazing up from her spot next to the movies over to Chrno, who was standing in the kitchen making popcorn.

He glanced over at her and frowned. "Uh, I don't care. You pick."

"Don't make me pick," Rosette said with a scowl. "I'll pick a chick-flick," she said as a threat.

"Fine then," Chrno said. "Grab us a horror."

Rosette grinned. "Horror it is."

She grabbed one of the horrors her father had brought, as Chrno landed with a soft thud on the couch. She popped the DVD into the player and took a seat next to him. She turned to look at him and frowned. "Move over Chrno."

He stuck his tongue out. "Make me." Rosette took a seat right on top of his chest. "Okay! Okay!" he chocked out. "Moving!" He sat up and she took a seat next to him, as the movie started. It wasn't much of a horror. More like a suspense. Of course, it didn't help much that Rosette had seen the movie seventeen times already, and took it upon herself to point out everything that was going to happen.

"And now this guys going to turn a corner, and there'll be a monster." Rosette explained.

There was a scream from the TV proving her prediction correct.

"Now he's going to wake up and realize it was all a dream." she said, as she popped more popcorn into her mouth.

"Rosette!" Chrno growled as he pushed her softly. "Stop ruining the movie."

"I can't help it!" Rosette cried. "It's just too- oh, now she's going to be eaten." A scream came from the TV again.

"That's it," Chrno said, as he extended the popcorn bowl far out of her reach. "No more popcorn for you."

Rosette turned an annoyed look at him. "Hey!" she cried. "That's so not fair!" And she proceeded to try and reach for the bowl, which presently left her sprawled out on top of him. Of course, she didn't really notice, and was more concerned with getting her popcorn back.

He stared at her, as she reached out for the bowl. "Kiss me."

This caused her to forget all about the damn popcorn and she looked down at him. "Wh...what?"

"Kiss me," he repeated. She stared at him with wide blue eyes. She tried to mouth a few words, as if wondering what she should say in this kind of situation.

"I..."

"I know," he said, as he placed the bowl on the ground, and moving to get a better look at her. "That you probably have some perfect boyfriend at home, and I understand. It would mean nothing, I promise. It will never happen. I just..." he trailed off momentarily, his eyes locked with hers as they unconsciously started moving towards each other like magnets. "I just can't stand to be this close to you, and not be able to..." his voice was barely audible now, "kiss you."

And then he kissed her. It was sweet and loving. It would've been perfect aside from the odd sound effect coming from the TV. Then it broke, and she stared down at him, her blush all but disappeared. "You stole my first kiss..." she whispered, staring down at him in amazement. His apology was cut off as she slammed her lips down onto his, and the kiss immediately went in a rough direction. She ran her fingers through his hair as a moan escaped from the depths of her throat. He ran his hands along her arms, as their tongues connected in a mass of passion.

It was Rosette who forced the kiss to break. "Whoa," she breathed, before looking back down on him. "Happy?"

"Very." he said, before the two settled down and turned their attention back to the movie. "What did we miss?"

"What happened to 'Stop ruining the movie'?" Rosette asked with a smirk.

"Touchè."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Eight**

"Ok... okay. Good. Thank you so much!" She sighed. "Yes. Anything. Just keep it under one hundred dollars okay? All right. See you soon. Bye." Rosette hung up the phone with a sigh and turned to Chrno. He was wearing one of the shirts she'd bought for him, with some casual jeans. He lifted one of the bags over his shoulder as she turned to look at him.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded, pulling her backpack on. She took one last glance over the house, wondering if she forgot something. She then crossed the room and locked the door to the porch, and did another scan of the living room. "Rosette," he said. "If you want to wait another few days I'll understand."

"No, no, no," Rosette said, as she turned and began to head towards him. "We shouldn't put this off any longer. Let's go Chrno."

The two stepped outside, and Rosette made sure she locked the door behind her, before she skipped down the steps, finding Chrno already pulling the tarp off the car. "I get to drive this time." He said, turning to look at her.

"What?" she cried. "No way!"

"You drove last time," Chrno reminded her. "Besides, I won't get us pulled over." Reluctantly, Rosette handed him the keys and the two got inside. "So," Chrno mused as he drove back onto the road, shifted gears, and began driving forwards. "What did Joshua say?"

"He said that most of the police forces after us are down heading towards the Mexican boarder." This caused Chrno to shoot her a confused glare. "My brother is such a good liar," she said with a sigh. "But, we can stay with Nina and Mac while we look for the Sinners."

Chrno remained silent for a moment. "That won't take very long. For an ex-Sinner, it's pretty easy to find them if you know where to look." Rosette took note that Chrno's hands tightened on the steering wheel.

Rosette closed her eyes and slowly leaned against his shoulder. She could feel his muscles relax and she was glad she could calm him. "It's going to be all right," she said. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

"You're going to protect me now?" he whispered.

"Yeah. I am." she replied, her eyes closed.

He leaned over and kissed her atop the head. "Okay. Then I'll protect you too."

---

Mac and Nina had been slightly surprised to see Chrno and Rosette on their doorsteps. After a quick explanation, they were let in. Mac had explained that they were all over the news, and the entire city of New York was looking for them. "They've even gots a reward fer yer capture," he had said. "Ten thousand dollars."

Rosette had gaped at the amount. Ten thousand? She was starting to think she should turn herself in and collect the money. But after a moments thinking, she realized that was really quite stupid. Mac led them up the stairs into a room they would have to share; it had a simple bed, and a dresser. Both teens were uneasy about sharing a room, but quickly got over it.

It had been decided that in the morning, the two would sneak into the Devil's nest, and find some substantial evidence that it was Aion who committed the murders, and not Chrno, then sneak back out and inform the police. Rosette found this plan solid, but Chrno was not so sure.

After at least ten minutes of arguing over who got the bed, Chrno finally won and Rosette was forced to sleep in it. It was halfway through the night when Chrno sat up, and looked over at Rosette, who was sound asleep in the bed. He had been planning this for a long time now. There was no way he could bring Rosette to the Devil's nest. Aion would kill her the second he saw her. He was tired of dragging her down into his problems.

Carefully moving over to his bag, he pulled out two guns, and extra bullets. He looked over the gun with uncertainty, before he hooked it on his belt and stood, turning for the door.

"Chrno?" he froze, and turned, finding the girl sitting up and staring at him rather sleepily. Damnit. Most of the time this girl was the heaviest sleeper in the whole damn world. She chooses now of all times to wake up?! "Is breakfast ready?"

Confused, he frowned. "No."

"Oh, okay," and the girl fell back into the pillows, immediately asleep. He took a calming breath, before stepping out of the room and heading down the stairs. He was slightly surprised to find the kitchen light on, and Mac seated at the table. It as almost as if he was expecting him.

"Yer so predictable." Mac said, shaking his had sadly.

"Take care of her," Chrno said, turning for the door.

"I took care o' her before yah were around. And I continue to do so after yah leave." Mac said. Chrno shot him a sad smile, before slipping out and slinking off into the night.

He felt quite guilty, leaving her behind without an explanation. But it was better this way. There was no way they'd be able to just "sneak into the Devil's nest." She would be shot long before she had the chance to do anything. He sighed. She protected him, and it was about time he did the same. Without turning back, he turned and bolted down the street, letting his feet lead him to the last place he wanted to go.

Arriving at the entrance to the Devil's Nest, he frowned. There it was, in plain red letters. It was still open too, and it was indubitable that Aion was standing just behind these doors. Taking a calming breath, he pushed the doors open. The place was well lit, which was odd for a place like this. All eyes snapped over to him as he entered.

A pair of deep red eyes peered at him as he entered, and it was accompanied by a knowing smile. "Chrno," he said. "You're doing well."

Chrno stared at him. "Hey," he said, before he took a seat at the bar. "Viede, do me a favor, give me the strongest crap you've got behind there."

Viede growled at him, but Aion waved his hand, signaling he should do what he wanted. A glass clinked down in front of him, and Chrno nearly down it all at once, shaking his head from the painful shot of alcohol. "Whoa, whoa, slow down there Chrno." Aion said, looking over at him as if he'd never left. "You wouldn't want to get too drunk too fast."

Rizelle growled. "Aion," she pouted. "Why don't we just kill the traitor already? We're wasting precious alcohol on him." she whined, wrapping her arms around Aion's neck and whispering something in his ear.

Aion smiled. "Now, now Rizelle. We should hear what he has to say. He wouldn't just waltz in here without meaning. After all, as he can plainly see, he's quite outnumbered."

Chrno didn't say anything at first, and instead, finished the last of the drink. Still, he sat staring ahead. In a flash, he turned, pulled out his gun and aimed it at Aion's forehead. As soon as he had stopped moving, he at once realized there were six other guns pointed directly at him. Aion was the only one not holding a gun. "Do you intend to pull the trigger?" he asked. "Do you remember the fire Chrno? The fire you started?" Aion smiled at the glint of fear in his eyes. "Yes, that wonderful glorious fire that killed so many. You couldn't handle it. You couldn't kill all those people." He took a drink from his water. "I knew there was something wrong with you Chrno. You couldn't handle killing people. You were too kind, too... pathetic."

He turned sharp, but all knowing eyes over to him. "Has prison given you the backbone needed to pull that trigger?"

Chrno's eyes closed, and the gun fell from his hand, landing with a painful clunk on the ground. Aion smiled. "I knew it." He waved his hands, and all the guns in the bar were lowered. "What do you want Chrno?"

"I want to come back," Chrno muttered, his voice cracked with stress. "I want to be a Sinner again."

Aion smiled devilishly over at him. "Welcome home Chrno."

---

It was late when Rosette woke. She sat up, and gazed around. Chrno was already up, but she suspected that. He had always been an early riser. She stood, and wondered what time it was. She left the room, and headed down the stairs, finding Nina and Mac sitting at the kitchen table talking in hushed voices. "Morning," she said giving a bright smile, before frowning. "Has... anybody seen Chrno?"

They both looked at her, with a small sympathetic looks in their eyes. "Oh Rosette," Nina said, standing.

Fear started to twist it's way into her stomach. "What happened?" she demanded. "Where's Chrno?"

Nina and Mac looked at each other, wondering exactly how to say it.

"Where's Chrno!?" Rosette said quite loud. Nina sighed, taking her hands in hers.

"Rosette," she said. "He's gone."

"What do you mean gone?" Rosette snapped.

"He went after the Sinners." Nina said slowly. "It was late last night. I'm sorry."

"And you didn't try to stop him!?" Rosette screamed. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Rosette-"

She ripped her hands away from her, and stood, glaring at the two. "No! I'm not going to listen to you go on about how noble he was trying to be! I don't give a damn!" she snapped, before turning and bolting for the door.

"Wait, Rosette!" Mac called, getting to his feet. "Where're yah goin'?" he asked.

"To find Chrno!" she yelled, before she ran out of the restaurant, and bolted down the street. She began running desperately, searching through alleyways, and scanning store windows. She even checked out his house. Still, she found no traces of him. It was only twenty minutes into searching, when a police car pulled up behind her. She increased her speed. She wasn't going home. Not yet damnit!

The men climbed out of the car, and began chasing her. They grabbed her, and told her that she was safe now, she didn't have to run. Twice she managed to get out of their hold and run. She had to find him! He could be hurt... or... or worse! The man had grabbed her, overpowering her, and dragged her into the car. Closing the door, they locked her inside. She began pounding on the window, and immediately broke down.

She stopped her useless resistance. There would be no escape now.

* * *

**A/N: **The story takes a turn now, and it gets darker. Clearly. Expect less fluffy romance and darker plot twists. Please feel free to give your comments! 


	9. Chapter Nine

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Nine**

Rosette was grounded the second her mother had stopped blubbering about the fact that she had been safely returned. Sarah had said strictly she wasn't allowed out unless she had an errand for her to run. Rosette wasn't exactly thrilled. Joshua had asked her not long after what had happened to Chrno, and Rosette had spilled out everything. He had told her that Chrno was simply afraid for her well being. Rosette had told him that was thoughtful and all, but she still wanted to punch him.

Days passed slowly. It had been a week and a half since she last saw him, and it was driving her crazy. She had to find him; she had to make sure he was all right. The reports on the news stated Chrno was still at large. Most of the police had come back from Mexico, as they found out it was nothing but a distraction. She had been asked multiple times where Chrno was, by Charles Remington, and she merely stated that she had no idea. She wasn't exactly lying.

Ewan had come to see her a few times, but her mother shoed him away before he could really comfort her. Not that she wanted comforting.

Rosette headed down the street slowly, her mother's shopping list in her pocket. Glancing up, she gazed around, as if expecting him to come running down the street, and pull her into a tight embrace. Of course, she didn't see him, and hung her head again. Where was he?

She bumped into someone, and quickly apologized, before moving on. "Rosette? Rosette Christopher?" the voice had a certain accent to it. Rosette guessed it was German.

Glancing up, she found herself face to face with a tall, red headed woman in a stunning dress. "Do I know you?" she asked her voice weary, tired.

"No, no you don't," the woman said. "You do know Chrno, do you not?" she asked.

Rosette nodded.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you still in contact with him?" she asked.

Rosette shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said, a little snappy. "But if you want the ten thousand dollars, you're going to have to find another way, because I have no idea where he went."

She turned to leave, when the woman grabbed her by the arm. "I think you should come with me." She said, before dragging her down the street.

Rosette ripped her arm back. "Listen lady-"

"My name is not 'Lady'," she said. "It's Satella. Satella Harvenheit. I'm from a group called the Pursuers, I'm sure you've heard of us."

This caused Rosette to pause. "Pursuers...?"

The woman nodded. "You were Chrno's friend, were you not? I think you should see what he's turned into."

"You... you know where he went?" Rosette breathed, feeling the weight of worry being lifted from her. "Oh please! Take me to him!"

"I intend to," Satella said, before she led her down several twisted alleyways. Rosette had wondered if she would know how to get out of here, before she stopped, causing Rosette to smash into her.

"Hey what-"

"Shh! Look!" Satella pointed down an alleyway, and Rosette found herself staring at an old, run down bar.

"So, it's just a-" she cut herself off as she spotted a sign. In big red letters written over the door was "Devil's Nest" the place where the Sinners were supposed to hang out. Silently, Satella led her around the side, to where a window sat, just above the ground. The two bent down next to it, and peered inside. Chrno sat on a couch, a glass in his hand. A tall, white haired man sat by the bar with a tall, deep red haired woman slung on his arm. In the corner, sat a woman with purplish hair and large round glasses tinkering with some sort of technical device. Finally, a man with white hair sat behind the bar, glaring at Chrno under the brim of a black hat.

"I still say we shoot the traitor," the red haired woman purred, leaning on the white haired man's arm.

Chrno cast her a lazy glare. "I can hear you Rizelle."

The woman named Rizelle smiled slyly. "Well, I never was one for secrecy."

"Then I guess you should pull your head out of Aion's pants long enough to learn how to be discreet." Chrno said casually, as he studied the gun in his hands.

Rizelle growled at him, and pulled a gun from her belt, and a shot was fired. Rosette's heart jumped into her throat when she thought that Chrno had been shot. But, the purple haired man sat on the couch, casual as ever, a steaming hole in the wall beside Chrno's head. "You should work on your aim too." Chrno commented casually.

Rizelle went to shoot again, when the white haired man put a hand on her arm. "Now, now Rizelle, calm down," he said. "The last thing we need is a body to take care of."

She fumed and Chrno stood. The purple haired woman looked up as he stood. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"For a walk." He replied, before stepping from the room.

Instantly, Rosette bounded to her feet and prepared to run towards the front of the Devil's nest, before Satella caught her arm. "Are you crazy?" she hissed. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

Rosette ripped her arm away, sending a glare down at the woman. "Chrno wouldn't dare hurt me." And with that, she turned and bolted around the corner of the alley, finding him casually leaning against the wall. "Chrno!" she called. Before he could respond, she pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're safe!" she said, her words muffled by his clothes.

Chrno was shocked for a moment, before he had the strength to push her away from him. "Rosette," he said, still gaping at her in shock. "When... how did you find me?"

The girl winked. "That's my secret." She said. "So, how much have you uncovered? Do you have enough evidence that we can put Aion away for a long time?" she asked.

He hesitated, wondering exactly how to word it. "Rosette..." he said. "I... I'm a Sinner again."

She gaped at him, her expression of joy slowly fading. "Wh... what?"

"You should go home." He said. "This is no place for you."

"Tell me what you think you're doing Chrno!" Rosette snapped. "What do you mean you're a Sinner again? What is wrong with you?!"

"Rosette-"

"Don't try to sweet-talk me! I thought you hated these people!"

Chrno sighed. He hated it when he made her angry; he forced himself to look at her, her azure eyes blazing angrily. "Rosette," he said, softer then before. "It's better this way."

"Its better this way, its better this way!" she yelled. "You keep saying that! How about it was better before! It's not better this way!" she slammed her fists onto his shoulders. "It's not!"

He sighed, and pulled her into a hug, and let her silently vent her anger out in him. He wished, maybe, if they had met under different circumstances, things could have been different. The door creaked open behind them, and instantly they were on guard, and turned to see exactly who had come out of the Devil's Nest.

"Chrno I-" the purple haired woman who went by the name of Shader paused when she spotted them. She looked from Rosette, to Chrno, her eyes wide. "Oh Chrno," she whispered.

"Shader!" Chrno said, turning to face her. "It's not what you think!"

"Oh no," Shader said, shaking her head. "It's exactly what I think." She glared at him. "You did it to Mary and now you're going to do it to this girl too."

"But-"

"Chrno, I want you to take this girl and get the hell out of here before Aion finds you. I don't care what's going through your head but I will not allow you to anger Aion and cause more senseless bloodshed." She snapped. "Now get the hell out of here before-"

Shader stopped, and turned as the door opened. Aion stepped outside, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath in a language only Chrno and Shader could understand. "Chrno, Chrno, Chrno, Chrno, Chrno, Chrno," he smiled. "You're the same as always." He turned sharp eyes up to him. "Do you intend to repeat the mistakes you've made?"

"Aion, don't even-" once again, Chrno was cut off.

"Oh Chrno, I wouldn't do such a thing to her." Aion said with a smile, before directing his cold eyes over to Rosette. "Dear girl, do you love this Sinner who stands before you?" Rosette opened her mouth to speak, but before she could Aion burst out laughing. "You know nothing of this man!" he said, before his laughter silenced, and he locked eyes with her. "You don't know what he _did._"

Rosette could see Chrno tense. "Aion," he said through grit teeth. "Don't you dare." His words were laced with malice.

Aion paid him no mind. "It was a glorious day," he said. "We went out to stop a corrupt business man, but Chrno... do you know what he did?"

"Shut up Aion! It was an accident and you know it!" Chrno yelled.

"He burnt down the entire building. How many people were trapped inside? Hundreds? Perhaps even thousands. No one made it out alive." Rosette could feel her throat close up in fear.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!" Chrno screamed.

"You killed them all Chrno," Aion whispered, as he took a step closer to Chrno, who stood shaking. "It's all your fault."

One hand snatched one of his guns; the other grabbed Aion by the neck, and slammed him up against the wall. He placed the barrel of the gun to Aion's forehead, his teeth ground together in anger, his hand shaking. Still, Aion remained as calm as possible. "Pull the trigger Chrno," Aion said, before leaning in so only he could hear. "Kill me like you did Mary."

The gun fell from his trembling hand and the man sunk to the ground, weaving his fingers through his hair. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to suppress memories as they all shot towards him at once. Rosette tried to get to him. She couldn't see him like this. Aion stood in her way. "You should go," he said, staring coldly at her.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Rosette yelled.

Aion glanced down at the gun at the ground, Rosette's eyes trailed to it as well. She dove for it, her hand wrapped around it, before Aion's boot slammed down atop her hand. She cried out, as he crushed down rather painfully on it until she let go. "I said you should go, miss, and I mean it." She glared up at him defiantly, then looked over at Chrno, who seemed to be trying to block out all outside interferences, oblivious to what was going on around him. "Chrno is mine to protect, and I will do exactly that. Now leave, before I'm forced to kill you."

Standing, Rosette cradled her bleeding hand; she opened her mouth to say something, when a hand prevented her from doing so. "And we will be going, wont we Rosette?" She turned, finding Satella standing behind her.

Aion smiled at her presence. "Ah, Satella. How long has it been?"

"Oh shut up," Satella hissed. "We're leaving." And with that, she turned and half dragged Rosette away from the Devil's Nest.

---

Rosette had gone home, feeling incredibly guilty for leaving Chrno like that. She wished she could have done something, but Satella had said there was nothing, no way she could help him, and so she would simply have to wait for the perfect moment to arise. _"Waiting... the one thing I'm not good at."_ She had been forced to stay home for the next few days, wondering what time would be perfect to sneak out and help Chrno. Still, no moment seemed right. And she was still without a plan.

It was one late afternoon when her parents were out when the doorbell rang. Rosette had been watching TV, seeing if there was any news on the current situation. She found the press was regurgitating old news, but had nothing new for her. She stood and crossed the room. She was surprised to find Shader on her doorstep.

"Uh-"

"Listen to me," she said. "I know we don't really know each other, but I want you to come to the downtown park at exactly eleven o'clock on Thursday," she said. "I'll send Chrno there at that time. You two will be able to sort things out then."

Her heart softened at his name. "Is he okay?"

Shader nodded. "He's fine. Aion just poked some old wounds is all." She turned to leave, when Rosette stopped her.

"Did he..." she began. "…Really kill those people?"

Shader sighed, turning to look back at her. "It was an accident. Unfortunately, Chrno still takes it really hard." With that being said, the girl turned and disappeared down the road. Rosette had to wonder momentarily why she was doing this, and decided that she would never know.

---

It was easy to sneak out of the house at ten thirty. Her parents were downstairs watching TV and she easily snuck out the door while her brother distracted them. From there she crept across the driveway and got into the car, where she drove down the street towards the downtown park.

She parked the car and got out, breathing in the crisp, night air and stepping across the parking lot toward the grass. She scanned the area, trying to find some sort of glimpse of him. She found nothing. Glancing down at her watch, she saw it was only ten fifty three. He had a few minutes.

She stepped across the field and took a seat on a nearby bench. She sat, staring at her palms for a long time, before turning her attention to her dark surroundings. The trees stood out eerily, dancing in the soft summer wind, she could hear the leaves brushing against each other. It was as though the trees were speaking in a soft, whispering language only they understood.

Rosette found herself fidgeting as eleven ten rolled by and he still hadn't arrived. Her feet scuffled on the gravel below, her hands fidgeted with the edge of her shirt. She then realized how cold it was outside. To think, only a few weeks ago, she sat overheating in the beach house, fanning herself with a magazine as she made Chrno fetch her a Popsicle.

_"Is summer ending already?" _She wondered, before a warm jacket fell on her shoulders, she turned, and immediately found herself trapped in his crimson gaze.

"Kurono..."

Chrno smiled and took a seat next to her. "Hey," he whispered. "You looked cold."

She ran her fingers over the edge of the jacket. "Yeah, I kinda was," she whispered, before turning to look back up at him. "I was afraid you wouldn't come."

"I was held late," he replied. "Aion."

Silence. Rosette hugged the jacket closer to her as a cold wind blew. "I'm sorry," Rosette said. "I wish I could've done something to help."

He shrugged. "It's not your burden to bear Rosette."

"But I want it to be!" she cried, before letting her eyes drift guiltily away. "At least... I wanted to help."

He sighed and pulled her into a hug. "I know," he replied, before they drifted into silence once more. "I'll stop Aion, I promise I will."

She looked up at him through the one-sided hug. "What's taking so long?" she whispered.

It took him a moment to reply. "It's like... he has this power over me. I can't oppose him, I just... don't know why." She snuggled deep into his chest, and for once in a long time, Rosette felt safe. She felt as though nothing in the world could hurt her. She closed her eyes, and almost felt herself drifting off, before his voice brought her back to reality. "I have a plan Rosette, but I need you to trust me, and follow it to the letter."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long. I thought I lost the last couple chapters and it took me a while to find them. But I have them now so expect updates quickly! I need to add this to my finished pile. Thanks for reading! 


	10. Chapter Ten

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Ten **

Chrno turned his gaze over to Shader, who sat in the corner of the small and dirty bar. She turned to him and nodded, signaling she was ready. Chrno silently breathed in relief. Everything was set. Nothing could go wrong. He had to make sure everything was perfect. If Aion got one hint that something might be up, he wouldn't hesitate to sniff out his suspicions until he found what he was looking for.

Chrno turned to look over at Aion, who was seated comfortably over by the bar. Aside from him and Shader, he was the only other one in the bar. Slowly, Chrno rose to his feet. "Aion," he said, catching the man's attention. "I have to know; why did you kill Mary?"

Aion gave him a puzzled, but warm smile. "Why Chrno, you never bring up Mary, what's with the change of heart?"

Chrno sighed. "It's been bugging me for a while. Why did you kill Mary, and her family? Why didn't you just kill me and get it over with?"

Aion smiled as he ran a hand lightly across Chrno's cheek, unnerving the man. "Chrno," he said. "We are Sinners. We sin against god's teachings to do his work, and in return, we are condemned for an afterlife of pain and suffering. We do it so this world can be cleansed. Mary was doubtful, she didn't believe in our ways and she was bringing not only you, but other Sinners down with her." He stood eye level with Chrno. "I killed her family, and I killed her because it was what had to be done. She sinned against us Chrno," Aion grabbed Chrno by the collar of his shirt and pulled him roughly towards him. "And no one sins against us." He dropped the man and smiled warmly. "Well, I'd love to stay but there are others who need my blessing." He shoved his hands in his white coat and turned for the door.

Chrno only breathed when he heard the door close behind the man. "Did you get that?" he asked, turning to Shader.

"Every word," Shader said, holding up the stopped tape recorder.

"Thank god," he said, before slumping against the bar. "Because I don't think I could've done that again."

---

Rosette had been pacing the lengths of her house for a long time. She was waiting for Shader to come. Every minute that passed by she just wished that the girl would hurry up and deliver the tape. Her brother had told her she should stop worrying, but had to go out before he could console her any longer.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the doorbell rang. Rosette bounded over to the door, and answered it, finding Shader standing on her doorstep. "Here," She said, before shoving the tape recorder in her hands. "It's got everything."

She turned to leave, before Rosette caught her. "Wait," she said. "I have to know, why are you helping us?" She knew it was rude, but she had to know.

Slowly, Shader turned to face her, a sad smile on her face. "You should know," she said. "You love him too." And then, she disappeared down the driveway and around a corner.

Rosette stood, gaping for several minutes. She didn't know exactly what to think of it. Turning, she pulled on her shoes and grabbed the keys to the car, before bolting out the door. Her mother was still inside, but she didn't care how much trouble she got in any more. She found it didn't matter.

She drove rather quickly to the police station, and entered. Unfortunately, a lot of other people had problems in New York and so she had to wait in line for at least an hour before she got to the front of the line.

"Can I help you with something?" the man asked.

"Yes," Rosette replied with a smile. "I have substantial proof that the killer Chrno is in fact, innocent of all charges!" she proclaimed proudly.

The man stared at her for a moment. "Okay then. Next please!"

"No wait!" she cried, blocking the plump woman who was trying to weasel in for her turn. "I'm telling the truth!"

His eyes drifted down to the tape recorder in her hands. "Fine. Can you please wait in the room over there?" he asked, pointing to a room with an oak door. "I'll have an investigator meet with you in a few moments."

Rosette smiled. "Thank you."

It was another hour before anyone came to see her. She was gripping the sides of the chair in annoyance, her nails digging into the fabric. Why did they have to take so bloody long?! After what seemed like forever, a man entered the room. He seemed older, his hair thinning. "You're here about Chrno, are you not?" he asked, she nodded. "Come this way."

He led her into the back of the station, into a dark room, with a table they usually interrogated criminals in. It was complete with a side mirror. He sat down, and motioned for her to sit. "I understand you have a tape for me to hear?"

She nodded, and quickly rewound the tape recorder, before setting it on the table and pressed play. It was at least five minutes of a solid confession from Aion. He admitted in every way that he had committed the murders, and by the end of it Rosette considered him more of a psychopath then he already was. The man seemed to hesitate a moment, before he grabbed the tape recorder, popped it open, and took out the tape. In a split second, he snapped it in half.

Rosette gaped at him. "What do you think you're doing?" she cried.

"Aion came in this morning. He told us that some prankster like you was going to try and pull a stunt like this," he said. "I can't believe you would try and frame such a man of God." The man turned, heading for the door. "I'm sure you can show your way out."

---

Rosette didn't know what to say when she stumbled back home. Her mother had yelled at her for taking the car, but she didn't really care. She was completely and totally speechless. _"Now what?" _She would have to tell Chrno and Shader that their plan had failed. It seemed as though they would never be able to put Aion behind bars. Her cell phone suddenly rang, causing her to squeak in surprise. She turned back to look at the small phone, before answering it.

---

Shader hung up the cell phone and cursed. Then she cursed again and turned to face Chrno, who had just come out of the washroom. He blinked innocently. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"It's those damned police!" Shader grumbled. "They destroyed our confession."

The two Sinners stood in the back of the bar, in a lone room where Chrno had been staying in. It was the best piece of privacy they could get around the dump. "What!?' Chrno cried. "Are you serious? That was a straight forward confession!"

"I know," Shader mumbled as she took a seat on his bed. "It's almost as though someone interfered."

A laugh called their attention to the doorway, where Aion stood, his hands in his pockets and a devilish look in his eyes. "Of course someone interfered. If I hadn't, Chrno would have had his freedom by now and I would be looked up in some backwater prison cell."

The two instantly tensed, watching every movement he made. The man took a few steps into the room. With a quick movement, he slapped Shader across the face. Hard. The girl went tumbling back, falling off the other side of the bed and hitting the ground painfully. Aion then advanced on Chrno. He grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, and lifted him so he was centimeters away from his face. "Do you hate me Chrno?" he whispered. "Why do you torment me this way!?" he breathed.

Chrno stared at him, his breathing short. "I-"

"You'll speak when I tell you to speak!" Aion snapped, slamming the man up against a nearby wall. Chrno hissed, but turned his deep crimson eyes on him.

"Did you think I was a fool?" he asked. Chrno gave no response and Aion slammed him once again up against the wall. "Answer me!"

"No!" Chrno chocked out.

"You came to me and I gave you shelter. I fed you and protected you." Aion's eyes were blazing furiously. "How dare you insult me with your treachery." Aion dropped the purpled haired man, causing him to slump to the ground in a heap, coughing. "I'll make sure your punishment is fitting."

---

Ewan had rung the doorbell, and Rosette had answered it. He asked if he could come with her to the station, because his father had some questions about Chrno to ask her. Reluctantly, Rosette had agreed to go down with him. They had placed her in an interrogation booth, much similar to the one she'd been in not long ago. Apparently, some police had caught some of the Sinner's just as they were about to kill someone. They kept silent in their confessions, except for one red haired woman. She told the police that they were hiding Chrno, but would not rely any more information as to where he was. So Charles had considered that Rosette knew where they were hiding. Ewan's father had sat her down, and kept relaying questions to her about the Devil's Nest. She continued to keep her mouth sealed.

Charles was getting a headache. "You can go home if you just tell me where it is!" he said, pacing the booth. "Then we can put that killer in bars and you won't have to worry about him ever again!"

Calmly, Rosette replied; "I know nothing of a Devil's Nest."

Charles growled. "Yes you do! Stop lying to us and tell the truth!"

"I am not lying," Rosette replied, causing the man to suppress a scream. "Hey, Detective, got anything to eat, I'm starting to get hungry."

"You can eat when you tell us where the Devil's Nest is!" he snapped. The door to the interrogation room opened, revealing an officer, holding a piece of paper.

"Detective?" he said. "We just got an anonymous tip. We know where the Devil's Nest is."

---

Aion pulled one of the knives from behind the bar and had pinned Chrno's shoulder to the wall with it. He enjoyed relaying bible verses, and repeating facts about the Sinners. His "Laws" as he called them. Chrno knew he was trying to brain wash him, and had to admit, the pain causing from the knife and Aion's constant blabbing was starting to get to him.

The door then opened, revealing Shader, she looked at Chrno, and shot him a helpless look, before turning to look at Aion. "The police are here. They want to see you."

"The police?" Aion asked, as he tried to recall as to why they had arrived. "That's odd. I should see what they want." He took a few steps, before pausing, as if he'd remembered something. "I almost forgot." He said, before turning back to Chrno. He grabbed his left hand, and held it up to the wall, before pulling out an extra knife and pinning his hand to the wall. Chrno let out a scream. "Don't go anywhere now," he said, before turning and leaving the room.

As soon as Aion was gone, Shader flew to his side. She pulled the knife out from his hand, then his shoulder. He clutched his bleeding hand, suppressing whines of pain. "Oh god," she whispered. She had known Aion for a very long time, and never had one of the Sinners gone so far as to make him this angry. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," he grumbled. "But we have to get out of here before he comes back."

"Here," Shader said, grabbing his good hand and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll help you out."

---

Aion arrived outside, smiling at the cop cars that surrounded the alleyway. They were effectively blocking their only exit. "Can I help you?" he asked, stepping up to Charles, whom he had known as a good friend for some time now.

Charles smiled sadly. "Aion," he said. "We have two out of three confessions that you are hiding Chrno down in your depths."

Aion smiled. "I am," he admitted. "The criminal came crawling back to me, begging for my help. We were old friends once. I gave him shelter for a while, and then he attacked me in my sleep. I was teaching him divine punishment, but I guess I could hand him over to you."

"That's not all," Charles continued. "Our confessions included information that you have been secretly killing people underground."

Aion smiled calmly. "I am a peacemaker of God. You of all people should know this Charles."

The man looked skeptical. "Then tell me, _peacemaker _Aion. Do all peacekeepers carry guns?" he asked, signaling to the handgun on his hip.

Aion looked down at it and mentally cursed his mistake.

"Let me through!" Rosette cried, catching his attention. The blonde haired girl that had been with Chrno tried to make her way through the crowd, but was held back by Ewan, Charles' only son.

He smiled as a plan started to form. "Rosette, my friend, how have you been!?" he turned, and grabbed hold of Rosette's hands, causing the girl to look up and shoot him a questionable glare. "I missed you so much!" he cried. "How was your trip?"

Rosette wasn't sure what to say. "Aion!" Charles said in a powerful tone. "Do not change the subject on me."

"Ah yes, the gun." Aion said as he pulled the gun from his belt and twirled it. "As I said I am a man of God." In one swift motion, he aimed the gun and pulled the trigger, causing a loud boom to crack through the air.

The light quickly died from Charles Remington's eyes as the man fell to the ground, instantly dead. "Dad!" Ewan cried in horror.

"And as a man of God," Aion continued. "I must do his work and purge this world of Sinners." Immediately, Aion found himself faced with tens of guns. Their barrels perfectly aimed. Aion spun Rosette into him, holding her tightly and aiming the barrel to her temple. "If anyone would so kindly shoot, you will be taking an innocent life. So, what'll it be boys?"


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Eleven**

Chrno ground his teeth, and leaned against the wall, Shader turned to look at him, frightened. "What's the matter, we have to move!"

Chrno panted, the pain from his wounds was starting to really get to him. He had suffered so many injuries in the last year he was starting to think he should simply carry around a bottle of painkillers with him. "Shader, I want you to go," he rasped out, desperate for air. "I want you to leave the Devil's Nest, and never come back."

"But-"

"No buts," he snapped quickly. "This place isn't good enough for you." He took a moment to swallow excess saliva. "Now go. He's going to do this to you I know it."

"Chrno I-"

"Go!" he yelled, turning instantly angry eyes on her. "That's an order." Shader looked at him with horrified eyes, before she turned and ran from sight. Chrno sighed in relief, and let his legs give out under him as he sunk to the floor. He gazed down at his hand. It was wrapped around his shirt in an attempt to stop most of the bleeding, although it was shaking from pain and indubitable blood loss. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his exhausted eyes.

_"Oh Rosette, I hope you're somewhere safe."_

---

Rosette gazed up at Aion in annoyance rather then fear. This had been the second time she had been in this position in less then two months. To think, she was being used as a human shield. The idea appalled her. She gazed at the police, who stood dumbstruck. _"Just like the day I met Chrno," _she thought, as Aion started to move back towards the Devil's Nest. He pulled the door open with one hand, managing to keep her in a tight hold, before he slipped inside.

He threw her like a limp doll to the ground, before turning and quickly locking the door. He glanced out the window, as if to check and see where the police were, before turning back to her. "Sit on the couch," he ordered.

"Make me," she snapped.

He pulled out his gun and she readily took a seat on the couch.

He turned and disappeared into the back room, before he cursed loudly. "Chrno!" he yelled, exiting the room and moving down a hallway. "I know you're here!" His voice trailed off, and Rosette's eyes caught a knife sitting innocently on the bar. Turning a fleeting look back at the hall, she quietly grabbed the knife, and concealed it in her jacket, sitting back down, before she heard some murmurs and soon Aion appeared, holding Chrno by his left hand, which was awkwardly twisted behind his back. He threw him to the floor by the couch, and Rosette squeaked.

"Chrno!"

She went to assist him when she heard the gun being cocked, and she turned to find Aion aiming at her. "Nobody move," he growled, before he turned back towards the liquor cabinet. She watched him closely as he spread the alcohol along the bar and all across the floor. He then pulled out rope from behind the bar and bound both Chrno and Rosette's hands and feet awkwardly. Satisfied with that, he moved and spread the hard liquor throughout the entire bar.

He sighed, smiling. "God has carved an interesting path for me, wouldn't you agree Chrno?" he asked, turning his insanely dilated eyes over to him.

"This isn't God's path," Chrno growled. "You've just lost your mind!"

"Maybe so Chrno," Aion admitted as he pulled a box of matches out from a nearby box. "But with this," and he lit a match. "I will be the last surviving Sinner who has any just to say weather I am a man of God or simply insane." Then he dropped the match and the entire counter lit instantly aflame. "Enjoy your time in hell Sinner."

And then he ran, turning, he bolted towards the back of the bar. Chrno instantly began struggling. "We have to get out of here before-" he cut himself off as harsh coughs ripped through his body. The smoke was already thick, and covering the bar in a thick layer of toxic fumes.

"Chrno!" Rosette cried, glancing over at him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded hastily. "Yeah. The smoke's bad, is all."

She began wiggling, figuring she could mostly get them out of there. When she and her brother were younger, he had been in the boy scouts; and he used to practice rope tying on her. He would bind her hands with hard, intricate rope knots, and somehow, she would always make it out of them. Luckily for them, Aion had never been in the boy scouts. "Got it!" she cried, pulling the ropes off her hands, and coughing at the smoke. She untied her feet, and then turned to untie Chrno. "Chrno..." she breathed. "Your hand."

"Don't worry about that now," he said. "We have to go!" He grabbed her hand with his good one, and started to lead her through the back of the bar, to where Aion disappeared to. Pushing smoke out of their way, he pulled her down the hall before arriving at a door. He kicked open the door, before leading her inside.

The room was bare, except for a small trap door on the ground, similar to what was back in Rosette's basement. He pulled it open, before ushering her inside and following suit. "Where are we?" Rosette asked, as they arrived down in the very dank passageway.

"It's a tunnel," Chrno replied, taking her hand and leading her down it. "It's leads to the sewer."

"The sewer?" Rosette cried in disgust.

He nodded; through she couldn't see it through the dim light. "That's why Aion got this place; he said he would use it in a time of emergency."

As they got further into the tunnel, the place got darker and darker, but somehow there was still a small amount of light let in by god knows what. Their footsteps echoed in the small, closed in tunnel every time they stepped, and after a while, they could hear another's as they made their way along. Rosette instantly figured it was Aion. Chrno unconsciously picked up the pace to catch up with the man.

A shot was fired and the two instantly froze, Rosette could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She turned, and looked over at Aion who stood not far ahead of them, his gun aimed up the in the air. "You should stop wasting bullets Aion. You might need them."

"I only need one for you're head," his gun moved down to aim at Chrno's head, but then moved to Rosette. "And one for your girlfriend."

Chrno moved in front of her rather protectively. "Aion, this is between you and me. Not her."

Aion chuckled, and his gun fell from aim. "Ah yes, you're right." He said, with a helpless smile. "As always it seems you are right."

"Rosette," Chrno whispered. "Stand back."

"I'm not letting you do everything!" She hissed back, eyeing Aion who was letting them have their silent conversation.

"I'm not doing everything." He hissed back in retort. "But if we both get shot, who's going to help us?" he asked. Rosette stayed silent and Chrno stepped forwards.

Aion started to chuckle. "So, in our epic tale, Chrno steps forward to face Aion in a desperate attempt to save his girlfriend and avenge his family," Aion narrated. "But our hero is without a weapon, what will he do?"

Chrno glanced down at his belt and cursed. His gun, lost from his holster.

A gun fell to the ground in front of Chrno's feet. He looked up, and shot Aion a confused and suspicious glare. "Now, with his weapon of justice, our protagonist will shoot down his foe and do the one thing he could never do before. Of course, the help of his fearless maiden will guide him through to the end." Aion continued to narrate.

His all too cheery smile faded, as he turned to give Chrno a look of all knowing power. "Well Chrno, take hold. Rise and awaken the Sinner within you. Strike down your enemy! Kill him!" He fell silent, and still Chrno made no mover for the gun in front of him. "I guess you never had a backbone after all."

Aion laughed and turned his back, preparing to continue on. _"Now."_ He grabbed the gun, and rolled along the ground, coming up; he pointed the barrel up at Aion, and found one staring right back at him. Aion stared down at him overtop of his gun. "Isn't it Ironic Chrno?" he asked. "That you and I stand here. The last two living Sinners preparing to pull the trigger and end the other's lives."

"You lie," Chrno growled. "No Sinner has yet died."

This caused a sick smile to creep across Aion's face. "Have they Chrno? Don't you remember my orders? If the Sinners were ever in a hopeless situation, they were to take their own lives and receive their given punishment from God then to live and suffer an unjust punishment on Earth."

"No Sinner is that stupid," Chrno replied. "No one will take you seriously."

Aion smiled. "Will they Chrno? They believe in me, next to God, I was the greatest thing there was to them. They would do anything for me."

Rosette's fingers itched. Watching those two made her anxious. She knew it was horrible to think, but she wished one of them would pull the trigger and cut the goddamn tension!

Slowly, Chrno stood, and Aion smiled. "Drop the act Chrno. We both know you won't pull the trigger."

"I will." Chrno growled.

Aion shook his head. "We've been through this before. You won't pull the trigger. You never pull the trigger."

Something poked her inside her jacket and Rosette opened it, revealing the knife she had stolen earlier. She looked up at Aion, then back down at the knife. She had one shot. If she made it, well, then it would all be over. Unnoticed by the two men, she pulled the knife out of her jacket and held it gently by the blade. Nervous, she aimed. In one quick movement, she hurled the knife at him. It was straight on course, heading for his temple before the man moved, and the knife clanked uselessly against the wall. Before she could move, Aion turned to her, and pulled the trigger.

She grabbed her arm as white hot pain exploded from it. She stumbled back, before tripping over her feet and hitting the ground hard, crying out weakly. "Rosette!" Chrno yelled, the anger clearly in his tone, he tried to go to her, before Aion aimed his gun back at him.

"Move and I'll shoot."

"Bastard," Chrno growled, turning his gun back on him.

"I'm okay!" Rosette called to him, to slightly ease his worry. "It just... hurts..." Rosette had never been shot before, and had to say it was not a feeling she wanted to go through again. She could feel the blood seeping from her wound, despite the fact that she was clutching her arm painfully hard. She eased herself up against a wall and turned her attention back to the men, who stood still glaring at each other.

"You'll pay for that," Chrno said through grit teeth.

Aion smiled. "Now that I shot your girlfriend, I guess you have enough guts to shot me now, don't you?" Chrno ground his teeth, but could come up with no reply before Aion spoke again. "We are Sinners Chrno. We live and die together. When you die, so shall I, and Rizelle, Viede, Shader, and Genai. We are all interconnected, and we all shall die together."

Chrno's hand began to shake.

"So pull the trigger Chrno," Aion said. "Be our savior. Pull the trigger and set us all free!"

"Don't listen to him Chrno!" Rosette chocked out. "Don't get sucked in by him!"

"Chrno!"

"Chrno!"

_"Goodbye my friend."_

And Chrno pulled the trigger.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Positively Criminal **

**Chapter Twelve**

It happened too fast to comprehend. Chrno had pulled the trigger, and pain dashed across Aion's face as he dropped the gun, and fell to his knees, his hands clutching the wound just next to his heart. Blood started to pour from his mouth, and his eyes seemed dazed. "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" And then he fell, and remained motionless.

Chrno let the gun slid from his hands as he turned to help Rosette. "Are you okay?" he asked, fusing over her like a mother chicken.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rosette said, as she gazed past him over at Aion. "Is he... dead?" she asked, almost regretting the answer.

"C'mon," he said, ignoring her question and helping her to her feet. "We should get out of here. There are people outside who can help you."

She turned frightened eyes over to him. "Outside?" she cried. "No! This place is surrounded by police! You'll be arrested the second they see you!"

He smiled warmly at her. "It doesn't matter," he said. "The Sinners have been disbanded. Sad to say but Aion is dead. That was the only thing I wanted to do with myself before I died. I can live in prison for the rest of my days content with my success."

"But," Rosette cried. "You're innocent! There must be some way to prove you are! They have to believe you they-"

Chrno placed two fingers to her lips. "We gave them a solid confession Rosette. They're not going to believe anything else."

Rosette went to retort when her blood ran cold. The sound ringed through her eardrums, staining itself into her brain. As soon as the gunshot went off, Chrno groaned and fell forwards, clutching his bleeding side. Rosette turned to face Aion, who lay on the ground, the gun in his hand. He smiled, before the light died from his eyes and he slumped forwards.

"Chrno!' Rosette screamed in horror, dropping next to him. "Oh god Chrno! Please be okay!"

He could barely hear her cries of terror as he felt himself extremely exhausted. "Rosette..." he groaned.

"Please don't leave me!" she sobbed. He could feel her tears as they dripped onto his busted hand.

_"You made her cry," _a voice inside him told him. _"Now how will you live with yourself?"_

"I..." his tongue ceased to work, and his head ached with blood loss. He commanded his body to work. _"I love you Rosette! Please understand! Please understand!"_ But his mouth wouldn't work. All he was watch her weeping form, as the darkness swallowed him.

---

He had a killer headache. It felt as though his head was slowly being cleaved in two with a dull and rusty axe. And the continuous beeping didn't help either. He groaned and tried to hold his head but found that everything was stiff. It hurt. But, he was wrapped in warm blankets that were very inviting, the sheets under him were soft, and had been previously washed. He liked this feeling, and wanted to snuggle deeper under them, and would have, had everything not been so stiff. He let out a small, aggravated groan and with it, he heard a sharp gasp from someone close to him.

"Chrno?" he knew that voice. It was the voice of an angel. Oh god. He died! Didn't he?! But, he had to wonder, if it was the voice of an angel, then why did it hurt so much?

Peeling open his eyes, he came face to face with his angel. "Rosette..." he mumbled. "Where am I?" Her eyes were red from crying and her face was stained with tears, but she smiled despite that.

"A hospital," she replied. "Aion shot you; he just missed your lung. You're lucky to be alive!"

His head was pounding and he found it hard to think straight. "Is he alive?" he asked.

Rosette shook her head. "He died right afterwards," she replied.

"Oh," and the two fell into silence. It was a small, uncomfortable silence as if they were mourning for the man. "What..." he trailed off, forming his sentence. "What about the police?"

"You're free to go," she said softly, her smile broad.

"How...?" he mumbled.

"Shader went into the police station after they emitted you in the hospital. She confessed to everything. She told them about Aion's plans, and all about how she and Viede brought you to the bar that night. They had to take her word for it, since they realized Aion really wasn't a saint," Rosette said with a smile.

"So... I'm...?" he couldn't help but smile as his eyes drifted shut. "This is the happiest day of my life, despite the whole, getting shot thing." Rosette pushed the bangs from his eyes affectionately. "So..." he mumbled his voice dry. He peeled open an eye and looked up at her. "Still got that boyfriend?"

---

"Say cheese!"

"Cheese is so cliché, can't we use-?"

"Aw! Rosette, I got you with your big mouth open!"

"My mouth is not big!"

The class broke apart, and the children all scattered off to find their parents and receive their praises. Rosette picked her gown off the ground, and headed off to where her father, mother, and younger brother stood. She waved the high school diploma in front of her brother's face tauntingly. "See Joshua? Now I have a document saying that I'm smarter then you."

Joshua grinned. "It's a document all right, but it certainly doesn't mean you're smarter then me."

Instead of chasing after her younger brother and beating him into the ground like she normally would, she laughed. She pulled her hat off and handed it to her father, who was expecting it, her diploma followed. She then pulled her gown over her head, revealing a pair of jeans and a casual t-shirt. "Here!" she said with a broad smile. "It's all in order."

Her father handed her the purse and plane ticket, her luggage sat beside him. "You be careful out there!" Her mother warned. "There are dangerous people out there Rosette! You keep your things to yourself. Don't talk to anyone! Don't lose each other!"

Rosette grinned. "Yeah Mom, I get the picture."

It had been a full year since Aion had been killed. All the excess wounds healed up nicely and things got back on track. It seemed as though the gun battles and police chases were all but a fleeting memory.

"Rosette!" she turned at a familiar voice, finding Azmaria running up to her. She stopped next to her and smiled. "Oh Rosette, I'm glad I caught you!" she said. "I wanted to say goodbye before you left!"

Rosette smiled. "Don't worry Az, I'll be back. It's just a year. Or two," she added under her breath.

"One year and only one year!" her mother shrieked. "I want you back here in time for college!"

Rosette laughed, and Azmaria pulled her into a tight hug. "Have fun," she said. "And be careful."

"I'm always careful Az. Besides, Chrno will be with me." She said, and pulled the girl off of her. She grabbed her bag smiled at all of them.

"Speak of the devil," her father, Vincent asked. "Where is he?"

A honk called their attention to the front of the school, where Chrno stood, waving, and leaning against Rosette's mother's car. "Right there!" Rosette said, as she took hold of her bag and turned to leave. "I'll see you all soon," she called, before heading towards him.

"Wait!" Rosette turned, the voice seemingly all too familiar. She found herself facing Satella, her arms crossed. "I wanted to say thank you." She said. "For stopping Aion."

Rosette grinned. "That's all in the past now," she said, before blinking. "Um, what are you going to do now?"

Satella shrugged. "The Pursuers disbanded, so I have no life there. So I think I will open a small shop of my own."

Rosette laughed. "Good luck with that," she said.

"I could manage a store!" Satella exclaimed. "Watch me you little brat!"

Rosette stuck her tongue out at her, and turned, hurrying down the path to meet Chrno. He popped the trunk, and she put her bags inside, next to his. She then closed it, and got in the car next to him. She leaned over and gave him a fleeting kiss on the lips.

"Where to?" he asked, turning to her with an amused eyebrow.

"Anywhere we want to go." With that, he turned the key in the ignition, and gutted the engine. He backed up, before driving clear out of school yard. She leaned on him affectionately, smiling. "I'm thinking Paris, Venice, perhaps even Rome."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Ah Rosette, do you feel as though I'm not romancing you enough?" He asked.

"No, no, you're fine. But I feel a moonlight dinner under the Eiffel tower would be just peachy." She said in all seriousness.

Chrno stopped at a stoplight, and turned to look at her. "I love you, yah know," he said.

She turned to meet his crimson pools called eyes. "I love you too," she said, and kissed him again.

**The End**

* * *

**A/N:** There, the end. I wanted to finish this and I'm glad all the chapters are finally up.

Also, just a side note, Aion's dying words, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" were the last words of Jesus Christ. It means, "My god, my god, why has though forsaken me?"

Thank you for everyone who had the patience to read, and review.


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